In the wake of media outlets declaring Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential race, the Democrat presidential candidate said he will name a 12-member task force to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic Monday, according to Axios.
Biden reportedly announced the creation of the task force before revealing senior White House staff or any cabinet appointments, demonstrating his intent to prioritize coronavirus during his transition and possible administration.
While Biden has yet to declare victory, his team is reportedly already at work preparing to transition into the office of the president. Biden and his team believe they are capable of containing the global health crisis that they say is getting worse.
Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Yale University’s Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, will reportedly serve as the three co-chairs to lead the new coronavirus task forces, according to Axios.
The proposed co-chairs advised Biden for the duration of his campaign on both public policy and health protocols for the campaign itself, in an effort to keep Biden staffers healthy and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Biden’s inner circle.
The Washington Post reported that the Democratic candidate is expected to address the media’s declaration of Biden’s victory in a speech Saturday evening.
As of Saturday, the U.S. has recorded more than 9.8 million COVID-19 cases, and more than 236,000 COVID-19-related deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University’s coronavirus case tracking map.
On Friday, The Hill reported Biden said that votes he has received have shown him that Americans have given him a “mandate” to govern.
“What is becoming clear each hour is that a record number of Americans of all races, faiths and religions, chose change over more of the same,” Biden said. “They’ve given us a mandate for action on COVID, the economy, on climate change and systemic racism. They made it clear they want the country to come together not continue to pull apart.”
The move by various media outlets to call the race for Biden comes amid allegations by President Donald Trump and his team, of voter fraud and suppression.
Minutes after media outlets called the race for Biden, Trump’s released a statement on Twitter, claiming that the election was “far from over.”
Statement from President @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/vAXtVk4Ifn
— Team Trump (Text VOTE to 88022) (@TeamTrump) November 7, 2020
“Beginning Monday, our campaign will start prosecuting our case in court to ensure election laws are fully upheld and the rightful winner is seated,” Trump said. “The American People are entitled to an honest election: that means counting all legal ballots, and not counting any illegal ballots.”
