The Trump campaign on Saturday announced they would be postponing events that are part of Vice President Mike Pence's "Faith in America" tour. Specifically, the tour dates that were supposed to take place in Florida and Arizona will be rescheduled due to the Wuhan coronavirus.
“Vice President Pence will no longer participate in campaign events in Arizona and Florida this week,” a spokesman close to Pence told Fox News. “This is related to coronavirus numbers increasing in those states.”
Both of the states have seen a spike in Wuhan coronavirus cases. As of now, Arizona has had 70,051 cases, 1,579 deaths. The state's infection rate sits at 9.4 percent, the Arizona Department of Health Services website stated. Florida, on the other hand, has had a told of 132,545 cases and 3,390 deaths, the state's Health Department website stated. The Sunshine State reported 9,500 new cases on Saturday alone.
During Friday's White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing – the first in two months – the vice president said cases are spiking in southern states, like Arizona, Texas and Florida, despite being open for months.
“I think there will be a temptation for people to look at these Sun Belt states that have been reopening and putting people back to work and suggest that the reopening has to do with what we’re seeing in the last week or so,” Pence said. “But frankly, in the case of each of these states, they reopened, in some cases, almost two months ago.”
Vice President Pence will still head to Arizona and Florida next week, although it will be in a much different capacity. He will be traveling with Dr. Deborah Birx to assess the outbreaks on the ground and meet with government leaders.