President-elect Joe Biden laid out his administration’s plans for coronavirus in a Thanksgiving address Wednesday, also urging Americans to be gracious amid suffering.
Biden said his administration’s new policies will change the course of the coronavirus pandemic on “day one.” He also urged families to forego their traditions and limit their holiday plans to small gatherings, as he said his family plans to do.
“More testing. We’ll find people with cases and get them away from one another, slowing the number of infections. More protective gear for businesses and our schools,” Biden said. “The federal government has vast powers to combat the virus, and I commit to you I will use all of those powers to lead a national coordinated response.”
He clarified that the the federal government cannot defeat the virus on its own, however, and urged Americans to make changes to their own lives that can help mitigate the spread of COVID-19. (RELATED: Judge Orders Halt To Certification Of Pennsylvania Election Results After State Already Certified Them)
“Remember, we’re at war with a virus, not at war with each other…We still have months of this battle ahead of us,” Biden added.
Biden highlighted the the history of Thanksgiving being about gratitude even amid suffering, encouraging Americans to celebrate with that in mind on Thursday.
“Gratitude even in the face of suffering has long been a part of what Thanksgiving means in America.”
President-elect @JoeBiden says he knows the country has “grown weary of the virus” but that we must “recommit ourselves to the fight” pic.twitter.com/4wCOxYCKQg
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) November 25, 2020
“For those who have lost a loved one, I know that this time of year can be particularly difficult. Believe me, I know. I remember the first Thanksgiving and the empty chair, the silence. It takes your breath away,” President-elect Biden says in his Thanksgiving address. pic.twitter.com/NAbT7oIaQ0
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) November 25, 2020
While President Donald Trump has not officially conceded the election, he has authorized the General Services Administration to begin the transition process. He has also authorized the sharing of intelligence briefings with Biden’s transition team.