US News | The Epoch Times
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden will be tested for COVID-19, his campaign announced Monday.
Biden, 77, has not been tested once for the new disease, which is caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. That virus began circulating late last year.
âFor the entirety of this outbreak, Joe Biden has lived his values, modeling and strongly encouraging responsible behavior to keep Americans safe while proposing the kind of desperately needed national strategy for defeating this pandemic that Donald Trump still has not provided,â campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement to news outlets.
âThis announcement is another step demonstrating Joe Biden and Kamala Harrisâs commitment to turn the page on Trumpâs catastrophic mismanagement during the worst public health crisis in 100 years,â he added later.
Bidenâs campaign has argued he didnât need to get tested because he rarely interacts with the public. Biden has primarily stayed at home in Delaware since March.
The announcement came one day after a campaign official said Biden hasnât had the virus, something thatâs impossible to know without being tested.
âHe has not been tested; however, we have put the strictest protocols in place and, moving forward, should he need to be tested, he certainly would be,â deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said during an appearance on ABCâs âThis Week.â
âHe has not had the virus,â she claimed.
A significant percentage of peopleâas many as 40 percentâwho become infected with the CCP virus donât show any symptoms.
Republican President Donald Trump, 74, has been tested regularly. He has not tested positive, according to the White House.
Strict protocols are in place for both men, including testing people expected to come into contact with them. Reporters who cover their events are tested and wear masks.
A Biden campaign aide told Reuters that the campaign will announce publicly if Biden or his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), ever has âa confirmed, positive case of COVID-19.â
Harris, 55, will also be regularly tested, the campaign said.
It wasnât clear when the new action plan would start and Bidenâs campaign didnât respond to an inquiry. Trumpâs campaign didnât immediately respond to a request for comment.
Biden told reporters in June that he hadnât been tested in part because he showed no symptoms.
He also said he didnât want âto take anybody elseâs place in the process.â
At the time, Biden claimed he would get tested ârelatively soon.â
US News | The Epoch Times