Coronavirus digest: US President Joe Biden to use wartime act to fight COVID

On his first day in office, US President Joe Biden has released details of a 23-page plan to combat the coronavirus in the country. On Thursday, Biden is set to issue 10 executive orders to put the new plan into action. Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, failed to take control of the crisis that has seen more than 400,000 people die across the country — the highest death toll in the world. The Biden administration will fully use the Defense Production Act to ramp up the production of masks, face shields, and other personal protective equipment (PPE), the new plan states. The Biden administration plan reveals details on doubling drive-through testing sites. It attempts to accelerate the pace of the vaccination’s roll-out. The administration outlines how it intends to better trace and track the virus. It will also review social-distancing measures. Biden will call on governors to make wearing a face mask mandatory in their states. The plan further details financial help for small businesses. There is no estimated cost included in the details. But the administration proposed a $1.9 trillion (€1.57 trillion) coronavirus rescue package last week. President-elect Joe Biden attended a memorial service to honor the nearly 400,000 American victims of the coronavirus pandemic… Read full this story

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