The escalating coronavirus pandemic has forced the Democratic Party in the US to postpone the Democratic National Convention [DNC], where the party nominee to contest the November presidential election is to be announced.
Party officials have said that the event, originally set to start on July 13 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will be provisionally pushed back to August 17 due to the “unprecedented” crisis, and that they will continue to follow guidance from the authorities and health experts.
Front-runner for the nomination Joe Biden, the former vice-president under the Obama administration, had expressed doubt earlier in the week that the convention would go ahead.
Chairman of the convention, Tom Perez, told the media that the health and safety of attendees and Milwaukee locals was their “top priority”.
Perez said: "We will continue to be in contact with local, state, and federal health officials as we monitor this fluid situation. The Democratic Party is ready to defeat Donald Trump, the American people are ready to elect a Democratic president, and I have absolute confidence that our team is ready to deliver a successful convention for our nominee."
Elsewhere, several states have been forced to push back their primary contests, but the Republican Party convention scheduled for August 24 is thus far unaffected.
