Kamala Harris suspends travel after staffer tests COVID-19 positive

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WILMINGTON, Del. — Joe Biden’s presidential campaign said Thursday that vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will suspend in-person events until Monday after two people associated with the campaign tested positive for coronavirus.

The campaign said Biden had no exposure, though he and Harris spent several hours campaigning together in Arizona on Oct. 8.

Harris had been scheduled to travel Thursday to North Carolina for events encouraging voters to cast early ballots.

The campaign told reporters Thursday morning that Harris’ communications director and a flight crew member tested positive after a recent campaign trip.

Campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon said “neither of these individuals had any contact with Vice President Biden, with Sen. Harris or any other staff member since testing positive or in the 48-hour period prior to their positive test results.” But O’Malley Dillon said Harris would suspend travel for several days “out of an abundance of caution.”

Harris and Biden spent several hours together that day through multiple campaign stops, private meetings and a joint appearance in front of reporters at an airport. They were masked at all times in public, and aides said they were masked in private, as well. Biden and Harris have each had multiple negative tests since then. Harris has had two tests since Oct. 8, most recently Wednesday, O’Malley Dillon said. Biden’s last announced negative test was Tuesday.

Biden is scheduled to attend an ABC News town hall airing live at 8 p.m. EDT.