Page 4 - ARUBA TODAY

A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 9 March 2020

Despite virus risk, 2020 hopefuls keep up campaigns for now

By HOPE YEN and WILL out there, we want them
WEISSERT to be extra cautious — we
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) want them to wash their
— As the coronavirus hits hands frequently," Adams
more states, Democratic said.
presidential candidate The U.S. death toll from the
Bernie Sanders said Sun- virus has climbed to at least
day his campaign is gaug- 19, with all but three vic-
ing when it may become tims in Washington state.
necessary to cancel the The number of infections
large campaign rallies that swelled to more than 400,
public health experts say scattered across the U.S.
could be breeding grounds Still, concerns about the
to spread the potentially spreading virus haven't
deadly illness. stopped thousands from
"Obviously what is most im- thronging campaign rallies
portant to us is to protect in recent days.
the health of the American At a Trump rally last week
people," Sanders said as in Charlotte, North Caro-
he appeared in a series of lina, the virus threat didn't
TV interviews. "And what I deter enthusiastic fans who
will tell you, we are talking shared buckets of chicken
to public health officials all fingers in the stands and
over this country." Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., works the crowd after speaking at dunked their hands into
"This is an issue that every a campaign rally in Chicago's Grant Park Saturday, March 7, 2020. shared vats of popcorn
organization, every candi- Associated Press while they awaited the
date has got to deal with," president's arrival.
he said. On Sunday, Surgeon Gen- Democratic rivals, Sanders hard as we can." Sanders Sanders drew more than
Federal health authorities eral Jerome Adams noted and Joe Biden, to cut back planned a meeting Mon- 7,000 to a convention hall
have been advising older that the average age of on big campaign events. day in Detroit with public in downtown Detroit on
people and those with death for people from the Each man is in his 70s. health experts and others Friday night and his cam-
medical conditions, in par- coronavirus is 80, while for Sanders said "in the best to discuss the outbreak. paign said 15,000 people
ticular, to avoid crowded those needing medical at- of all possible worlds" the Trump on Saturday said he attended his rally in Chi-
spaces, prompting the tention, it is 60. three candidates should wasn't worried about the cago's Grant Park on Sat-
cancellation of music and But that so far hasn't led probably limit their travel coronavirus getting closer urday.
arts festivals and other President Donald Trump and avoid crowds, "but to the White House after Mercedes Lopez, a
events around the country. or his two remaining major right now, we're running as the first case in the nation's 56-year-old who owns a
capital was confirmed over restaurant in Grand Rapids
the weekend. Officials also and attended an open-air
said an attendee of a re- Sanders rally in the city's
cent political conference downtown on Sunday, said
where Trump himself had she's not afraid of the virus.
spoken also tested positive She said she sees the gov-
for the virus. ernment's increased con-
"No, I'm not concerned at cern as a plot to distract
all. No, I'm not. We've done the electorate from other,
a great job," Trump said. negative things that are
The Trump campaign said occurring, such as increas-
Sunday it is "proceeding ing petty crime and official
as normal" amid the out- corruption.
break, though it has yet to "There's a virus but it's not at
announce the president's the level they are saying.
next rally. It's to distract people," Lo-
Adams, acknowledging pez said.
Trump's busy public sched- Lopez added that she
ule, said for many Ameri- wasn't worried about at-
cans "life can't stop" and tending an event with
that ultimately the goal such a large group, saying,
was to minimize risk the "I'm calm. I'm not going to
best as possible. worry about it because
"But speaking of being at the more you think about,
risk, the president, he sleeps 'I'm going to protect myself
less than I do, and he's against this one thing or this
healthier than what I am," other thing,' it becomes im-
he said. "And so that's the possible. You can't protect
other reason that this mes- yourself from everything."
saging is hard, because Sanders appeared on
there are 70-year-olds CNN's "State of the Union,"
who run marathons and NBC's "Meet the Press," and
are healthier than some ABC's "This Week," and Ad-
30-year-olds." ams spoke on CNN and
"If people are going to go CBS' "Face the Nation."q