President Trump confirmed on Tuesday that he will participate in the upcoming presidential debate, after being briefly hospitalized for coronavirus infection.
“I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “It will be great!”
I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami. It will be great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 6, 2020
White House spokeswoman Alyssah Farah confirmed the decision in an appearance on Fox News.
Trump was hospitalized with COVID-19 at Walter Reed Medical Center on Friday, after his blood oxygen levels dropped and White House physicians were compelled to administer supplemental oxygen. However, doctors approved the president’s return to the White House on Monday following improvements in his condition.
Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that a person infected with coronavirus can remain contagious for ten days following the onset of symptoms. The October 15 debate will take place two weeks after the president tested positive for the illness.
It is not clear what will happen if Trump still tests positive for coronavirus on the day of the debate. Both the president, who is 74 years old, and Democratic opponent Joe Biden, 77, are in the age group at greatest risk for serious complications from COVID-19.
The vice presidential debate on Wednesday, October 7, will feature plexiglass barriers separating the candidates, Vice President Mike Pence and California senator Kamala Harris. The barriers were requested by the Biden-Harris campaign, because of Pence’s recent proximity to a number of senior Republicans who have tested positive for coronavirus. Pence has consistently tested negative for the illness.