Updated 10:35 a.m. | Senators on both sides of the aisle said this week that the chamber is exploring the possibility of voting remotely on a third legislative package responding to the coronavirus pandemic, a move that would upend tradition and require tweaks to the Senate rules. But Majority Leader Mitch McConnell shot down the idea of remote voting Tuesday, just like Speaker Nancy Pelosi did in the House last week.

Still, McConnell is altering the Senate’s patterns, an acknowledgment of the concerns.

On Wednesday, the Kentucky Republican announced that any votes will be conducted as 30 minutes votes rather than the usual 15 minutes to stagger senators presence in the chamber.

He encouraged senators to leave promptly after voting and to not congregate in the well for the safety of clerks and staff in the front of the chamber.

“I think we’ll be able to get through the voting that will occur in all likelihood later today without violating any of the safety precautions that have been recommended to us by the capitol physician and others,” said McConnell.