Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden attends a rally in Philadelphia May 18, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The 2020 Democratic National Convention is turned into an almost all-virtual event due to COVID-19 concerns. Former Vice President Joe Biden will be formally nominated during the convention as the Democratic presidential nominee.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 17  -- The U.S. presidential race has intensified as the Democratic National Convention (DNC) kicks off on Monday, less than 80 days before the general election.

The 2020 DNC, which was scheduled to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in July, is now turned into an almost all-virtual event beginning Monday and running through Thursday, due to safety concerns amid a lingering COVID-19 pandemic that has killed over 170,000 Americans.

The four-night program themed "Uniting America," beginning at 9 p.m. and ending at 11 p.m. ET, will be livestreamed on the DNC website and its social media handles, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

According to the DNC, each night of the convention will feature "both live and curated content originating from Milwaukee and other satellite cities, locations and landmarks across the country." Party business will occur remotely during the daytime, with caucus and council meetings scheduled throughout.