A vice presidential debate will be held with a live audience at the University of Utah despite the surge in coronavirus cases happening in the state.
Organizers in Salt Lake City have been coordinating with health experts and local authorities to hold the event, scheduled for Oct. 7, with public health precautions in mind. The audience, which is typically about 900 people, is now expected to be less than 200, officials said Wednesday.
In Salt Lake City, gatherings of more than 20 people are allowed if organizers can establish a 6-foot distance between household groups. The media corps will also be limited to about 250 people and housed in a ventilated tent outside the venue on the college campus.
The vice presidential debate will be organized by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has put together all general election debates since 1988. The debate is expected to feature Vice President Mike Pence and the not-yet-announced running mate of presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.
The commission believes the gathering can be done in a safe manner and will add to the “good tension” in the room.
“We view it as part of our educational function,” co-chair Frank Fahrenkopf Jr. told the Associated Press. “Safety is going to be the No. 1 issue.”
