Facebook Portal will connect socially distanced audience

Fox News Channel and Facebook are teaming up for a virtual town hall on the COVID-19 pandemic Thursday (April 2) at 7 p.m.

The one-hour town hall will be commercial free and hosted by Martha MacCallum (The Story). It will be live streamed on FNC's Facebook page, all of Fox TV station's Facebook pages, websites and apps, as well as on Fox's CoronavirusNOW.com and the CoronavirusNOW channel on Samsung TV.

In addition to MacCallum and the virtual audience, participants include Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of the White House's coronavirus task force familiar from the daily televised briefings, and Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams.

The participants will use Facebook Portal smart video devices, with all participants following social distancing guidelines and stay-at-home orders. Each member of the non-studio audience was shipped a Portal device that will allow them to attend virtually and ask questions, with video "perfectly" framed by the portal's smart camera and clear sound, said Fox.

Fox and Facebook are also teaming up to donate $1 million to the Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund, which funds food banks for those affected by school closures, job disruptions and health risks.