Kennedy suspends campaign activities for a week due to coronavirus outbreak

Massachusetts Senate contender Rep. Joe Kennedy III’s (D) campaign announced on Friday it will suspend all activity for one week amid the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. 

The campaign will instead focus on its digital platforms, communicating with Massachusetts voters on the virus. 

The directive includes the suspension of all fundraising and voter contact, with the exception of communication on the virus, for at least one week. All campaign staff are also required to work from home. 

Campaign manager Nick Clemons said in a statement that the team will reassess the situation by the end of the day on March 20. 

“We don’t believe it is appropriate or wise to continue political activities given the reality that Massachusetts families and communities are facing,” Clemons said in a statement. “Our top priority is ensuring our staff, supporters, community, and the general public are safe.”

The announcement comes less than a day after Kennedy’s campaign revealed it would be hosting a digital town hall on March 15, in addition to the launch of virtual campaign offices on Facebook across the state. 

Kennedy is scheduled to debate his rival, Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), at the Western Mass News studios in Springfield next week. The event has not yet been rescheduled. 

There were 108 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Massachusetts as of Thursday. A number of events in the Bay State have been canceled amid the outbreak, including the Boston Marathon and the Boston St. Patrick’s Day parade and breakfast.