Joe Biden will not attend the Democratic convention to accept the party's nomination to be its presidential election candidate after the event was further scaled back due to the

coronavirus pandemic, officials said Wednesday.

Biden "will no longer travel to Milwaukee and will instead address the nation and accept the Democratic nomination from his home state of Delaware," the party said in a statement, announcing that no speakers would physically attend the August 17-20 convention, which will be entirely virtual.

"We followed the science, listened to doctors and public health experts, and we continued making adjustments to our plans in order to protect lives," Democratic National Committee chair Tom Perez said.

Biden, 77, who leads President Donald Trump in the polls, is due to shortly unveil his long-awaited choice of running mate.

Trump, 74, has questioned Biden's mental sharpness, and Biden pushed back strongly in an interview aired on Wednesday when asked if he's taken a cognitive test.

"No, I haven't taken a test," Biden told the CBS News correspondent. "Why the hell would I take a test?" AFP