The Biden bubble: How the 77-year-old’s team shield him from COVID

Joe Biden’s team are said to adhere to strict social distancing rules in an effort to shield the 77-year-old from the coronavirus. 

New details shed light on his team’s approach to protecting the Democratic presidential candidate, including orders for him to ‘keep back’ at public events.   

Biden’s cars and planes are also said to be constantly disinfected, as is the equipment he uses right before he gives speeches, Politico reports. 

Journalists are temperature checked with only a select few allowed to have access and those attending his events are kept in spaces marked out with a tape measure. 

Biden, who is rarely seen without a mask in public, is also said to wear one when the limited members of his team allowed in his home do visit. 

And campaign aides say if someone takes a sip of water, they are said to turn their head away from others. Crowds are kept to low numbers and reporters segregated with sticky notes marking safe spots. 

At an event in Wilmington aides are said to have shouted ‘six feet, six feet’ as Biden walked towards attendees. In Wisconsin they shouted ‘keep back’ to the former vice president. 

Rev. Jonathan Barker attended a Biden event in Kenosha. He said: ‘They actually had a measuring tape and they were measuring where people could be and using dots to mark the places.’

Guests were given N-95 masks, even if they had been wearing others, and escorted to assigned seats, according to reports. 

One supporter, Terrance Warthen, said of Biden’s canceled Milwaukee acceptance speech: ‘He could have had a very safe, and isolated trip.’

By contrast Donald Trump is rarely seen in public with a mask; on Sunday he held an indoor rally in Nevada in violation of state rules. 

More than 6.5 million Americans have tested positive for the virus; the death toll stands at 194,339. Both Biden and Trump are at an increased risk from complications due to their age and are said to be regularly tested. 

Biden deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield said: ‘We don’t want any more Americans to contract the virus.

‘[People] are frustrated when they see Donald Trump behaving irresponsibly at a political event.’

But the president has said of Biden: ‘Did you ever see a man that likes a mask as much as him? Have you ever seen the gyms with the circles? That’s his crowd.’