Democratic U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden appears at his Super Tuesday night rally in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 3, 2020.

Joe Biden will win the Illinois Democratic primary, NBC News projected Tuesday, notching another key win as the coronavirus pandemic drowns out the 2020 race.

The former vice president will extend a commanding run in contests against Sen. Bernie Sanders after an easy victory in Florida earlier in the night. With a big delegate haul expected from the states voting Tuesday, Biden moves closer to putting his rival out of the race to face President Donald Trump in November.

Illinois allocates 155 pledged delegates, the second biggest haul of the states voting on Tuesday. Biden will take at least 61 delegates, while Sanders will win at least 37, according to NBC.

With more than half of the votes counted, Biden led Sanders by about a 59% to 36% margin.

Speaking from his home in Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday night, Biden said "tackling this pandemic is a national emergency akin to fighting a war." He seemed to endorse the states moving ahead with their elections with precautions, saying "it's important for us to get through this crisis protecting both the public health and our democracy."

"Our campaign has had a very good night. We moved closer to securing the Democratic Party's nomination for president," he said after the two projected wins. He spoke directly to Sanders' supporters, saying he and his opponent "may disagree on tactics, but we share a common vision" on the need to make health care more affordable, reduce income inequality and curb climate change.