WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Donald Trump’s campaign events ahead of the Nov 3 election will be held virtually or postponed after he tested positive for Covid-19, his campaign manager said Friday (Oct 2).

“All previously announced campaign events involving the president’s participation are in the process of being moved to virtual events or are being temporarily postponed,” campaign manager Bill Stepien said.

Events involving First Lady Melania Trump, who also tested positive for coronavirus, have also been postponed, Stepien said in a statement.

“All other campaign events will be considered on a case-by-case basis and we will make any relevant announcements in the days ahead,” he said.

Vice-President Mike Pence, who tested negative for Covid-19, would remain on the campaign trail, Stepien added.

He said any further information about the 74-year-old president would “come from the White House.”

Trump has maintained a busy campaign schedule despite the coronavirus pandemic that has left more than 200,000 people dead in the United States.

He has held numerous outdoor rallies in key states featuring thousands of supporters, most of whom have not been wearing masks.

Last Saturday, Trump presided at the White House over a ceremony featuring the unveiling of Amy Coney Barrett as his pick to replace the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

He then attended a rally in Pennsylvania that evening.

On Tuesday, he debated Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in Ohio, and he held a rally in Minnesota on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Trump attended a roundtable event and fundraiser at his golf club in New Jersey.

The president had been scheduled to hold a rally in the battleground state of Florida on Friday and two rallies in Wisconsin over the weekend.

Trump’s positive Covid-19 test also raises questions about whether the two planned further debates with Biden will go ahead.

The next debate is scheduled to be held on October 15 in Miami, Florida, with the final debate on October 22 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The 77-year-old Biden, who leads Trump in the polls, said he had tested negative for Covid-19 and his campaign said he would maintain a scheduled trip on Friday to the crucial state of Michigan.

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