Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden slammed President Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to claim several lives in the United States. This attack on the president's inability to restrict the spread of the virus came on Thursday, as the two leaders held dueling televised town halls after the Commission on Presidential Debates canceled their second planned debate.

The prime-time split-screen clash between the two candidates gave Americans a visual reminder of the country's significantly divided electorate, even as over 18 million ballots have been cast before the formal Election Day on Nov. 3. During his appearance in Philadephia on ABC, Biden pointed out that Trump claims he did not tell anybody about coronavirus because he didn't want Americans to panic. "Americans don't panic. He panicked," he said.

Furthermore, Trump even defending hosting a Rose Garden event to announce his Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett in front of most maskless attendees, who later tested positive. Speaking to an outdoor audience of voters in Miami on NBC, Trump noted that he is the president and has to see people and it is not possible for him to be in a basement.

Trump went on to criticize Biden without reservation, accusing his rival of spending months off of the campaign even though most states continue to see a surge in coronavirus related hospitalization. It was immediately clear that Trump's handling of the pandemic in the initial stage, and his personal bout with COVID-19 would be a major topic at the events, according to The Times of India.

The second presidential debate was originally slated to take place on Thursday, but Trump refused to participate in it after the organizers decided to make it a virtual affair following his diagnosis a few days earlier. A final debate has been scheduled for Oct. 22, and it will be held in Nashville, Tennessee.

Trump made a comeback to the campaign trail after spending 3 days in a military hospital and is leaving no stone unturned in a bid to change the dynamics of the race. The president is trailing Biden in Reuters/Ipsos polls, but the former vice president's advantage in battleground states is less noticeable.

So far, nearly 18.1 million Americans have voted either by mail or in person, and this represents 12.9 percent of the total votes counted in the 2016general election. Voters are understandably trying to avoid in person lines on Election Day to stay safe while coronavirus related hospitalizations continue to rise, but are making sure that the ballots will count.