From the BBC:
“US
election: Biden urges mask-wearing to save 'thousands of lives'”
US
President-elect Joe Biden has delivered a passionate appeal to Americans to
wear a mask as the best way to "turn this pandemic around". Mr Biden
said the US faced a "very dark winter" and the "worst wave
yet", and Americans had to put aside political differences to tackle
Covid-19. He has named a new task force and vowed to "follow the
science" as he puts together his transition team. Donald Trump still
refuses to concede defeat and is challenging key results. He is taking legal
action in several states. Mr Biden's victory was declared on Saturday but it
remains a projection, with a number of states still counting ballot papers. He
leads Mr Trump in the nationwide vote by about 4.5 million. Mr Biden and
Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris have launched a website for the transition,
saying the team will also focus on climate change, the economy and tackling
racism. But the president-elect will need the help of an agency called the
General Services Administration to begin the transition process and its
Trump-appointed head has given no indication when that will happen.
What are the
Covid plans? On Monday, Mr Biden set out the blueprints for his Transition
Covid-19 Advisory Board. In a TV address, he said "I implore you,
wear a mask", calling it the "single most effective thing we can do
to stop the spread of Covid". He added: "A mask is not a
political statement but it is a good way to start pulling the country
together." During the election campaign, his mask-wearing was
markedly different to President Trump, whose attitude to it has varied
considerably. They have differed too on how to follow scientific advice.
Mr Biden said on Monday there would be a "bedrock of science" to his
policy. President Trump's comments on Covid-19 have often conflicted with
scientists, including leading infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci. Mr
Biden said that, as president, he would improve contact-tracing and supplies of
protective equipment, and address the racial disparity of coronavirus
infections. "This is a crisis that affects everyone and I will be a
president for everyone," he said. "We can get this virus under
control, I promise you."
He earlier
named three co-chairs and 10 members of his task force. Among the co-chairs
named is Vivek Murthy, who was appointed US surgeon-general by President Barack
Obama in 2014 and removed by President Trump in 2017. One member is
immunologist Rick Bright, who says he was ignored and then removed by the Trump
administration over his early warnings on Covid. Mr Biden also welcomed
the news from Pfizer and BioNTech that preliminary analysis showed their
vaccine in development could prevent more than 90% of people from getting
Covid-19. But he also warned it was "important to understand that
the end of the battle against Covid-19 is still months away". BBC
North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher says that Mr Biden's choice to
address the pandemic as the first public event for his new transition team
afforded him an opportunity to look and act like a man who will soon be
president, despite Donald Trump's decision to not concede defeat. On
Monday, Covid cases in the US since the epidemic began passed 10 million, and
there have been more than 237,000 deaths recorded so far, Johns Hopkins
research shows. Donald Trump also welcomed the vaccine statement, tweeting it
was "such great news".
^ I took out
the extra parts of this article that didn’t involve Covid-19 or mask wearing. I
do believe people across the nation and the world should wear a mask. I have no
idea who any of the people are in Biden’s Covid-19 task force. Hopefully he
also includes Dr. Fauci since most Americans support him (I have the feeling
Trump will fire him soon just because he’s mad about the Election.) ^
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