Good afternoon, everyone.

As I said on Saturday, I'm humbled by the trust and confidence American people have placed in me and vice President elect Paris, and we're ready to get to work addressing the needs of American people today that work begins.

It starts, are doing everything possible to get the cova 19 under control so that we can reopen our businesses safely and sustainably resume our lives put, are put this pandemic behind us.

And we just received positive news in this fight with the announcement that there's been progress made toward a successful vaccine.

Soon it's ex.

The expectation is the FDA will run, ah, process of rigorous reviews and approvals.

The process must also be grounded in science on fully transparent, so the American people can have every confidence that any approved vaccine is safe and effective.

At the same time, it's clear that this vaccine, even if approved, will not be widely available for many months yet to come.

The challenge before us right now is still immense and growing, and although we're not in office yet, I'm just laying out what we expect to do and hope can be done.

Some of it between now and the time we were sworn in, but so the purpose of this is to let you know what we're going to do once sworn in.

And so there's a need for bold action to fight this pandemic.

We're still facing a very dark winter.

There are now nearly 10 million covert cases in the United States.

Last week we topped 120,000 new cases on multiple successive days.

Infection rates are going up.

Hospitalizations, air going up.

Deaths are going up.

This crisis claimed nearly 1000 American lives today.

Nearly 240,000 deaths so far.

Protecting the projections still indicate we could lose 200,000 more lives in the coming months before vaccine can be made widely available.

So we can't forgo the important work that needs to be done between now and then to get our country through the worst wave yet in this pandemic to reduce the spread to save lives.

So that's why today I've named a Cova 19 transition advisory board comprised of distinguished public health experts, tell our transition team translate the Biden Harris Cova 19 plan into action, a blueprint that we can put in place as soon as common, and I are sworn in office on January 20th 2021.

And we will seek to add other members to this board during this important with very additional important perspectives on public health and expertise.

Throughout the transition, this group will advise on detailed plans built on a bedrock of science, and they keep compassion, empathy and care for every American at its core, making rapid testing widely available more widely available, much more widely available on building a core of contact tracers who will track and curb this disease while we prioritize getting vaccines first to the most at risk populations.

Developing clear and detailed guidance Providing necessary resource is for small businesses, schools, childcare centers to reopen and operate safely and effectively during the pandemic, protecting both workers and the public, scaling up productive life saving treatments and therapeutics.

And when it's ready, making sure and approved vaccine is distributed equitably and efficiently and free for every American, the case is rising.

Once MAWR, it's imperative that we ramp up our production of personal protective equipment to make sure our brave healthcare workers have what they need to do battle safely against this virus.

We're going to get states, cities and tribes, the test and the supplies they need.

We're going to protect vulnerable populations who are at risk, most at risk in this virus, older Americans and those with pre existing conditions.

We're going to address the health and economic disparities that mean this virus is hitting the black, Latino, Asian American Pacific Islanders, Native American communities harder than white communities.

Focus in these communities is one of our priorities, not an afterthought.

The bottom line I will spare no effort to turn this pandemic around once were sworn in in January 20th to get our kids back to school safely.

Our business is growing on our economy, running in full speed again and to get it approved, vaccine manufactured and distributed as quickly as possible to as many America's to as many Americans as possible.

Free of charge.

We'll follow.

The science will follow the science.

Let me say that again and will adjust to new data when it comes in and we'll listen and work in cooperation with governors and local leaders of both parties were fighting this virus in their communities this very day.

There is so much good work happening at state local levels across the country.

Governors, mayors, they're stepping up.

The advisory board will listen and learn lessons from their experience because we know that we won't fully defeat Kovar 19 until we defeat it everywhere.

My advisory council also includes experts on global health security so that we can restore US global leadership to fight this pandemic.

This is a crisis affects everyone.

As I've said throughout this campaign, I will be a president for every American.

This election is over.

It's time to put aside the part of the partisanship and the rhetoric that designed to demonize one another.

It's time to end the politicization of basic, responsible public health steps like mask wearing in social distances.

We have to come together to heal the soul of this country so that we can effectively address this crisis as one country.

We're hardworking Americans have each other's backs on where united in our shared goal, defeating this virus.

As you work toward a safe and effective vaccine.

We know the single most effective thing we can do to stop the spread of covert where a mask head of the CDC warned this fall for the foreseeable future.

A mask remains the most potent weapon against the virus.

Today's news does not change that urgent reality.

We won't be president until January 20th.

But my message today is toe everyone is this.

It doesn't matter who you voted for, Whether you stood who where you stood before Election Day.

It doesn't matter your party, your point of view.

We could save tens of thousands of lives if everyone would just wear a mask for the next few months.

Not democratic Republican lives, American lives.

You know, maybe we'd save the life of a person who, uh, stocks a shelf at your local grocery store.

Maybe saves the life of a member of your place of worship, Maybe save the lives of one of your Children's teachers, maybe save your life.

So please, I implore you where a mass Do it for yourself.

Do it for your neighbor.

A mask is not a political statement, but it is a good way to start pulling the country together.

I want to be very clear.

The goal of mask wearing is not to make your life less comfortable is to take something or take something away from is to give something back to all of us, a normal life.

The goal is to get back to normal.

Was fastest possible, my master critical in doing that, it won't be forever.

But that's how we'll get our nation back, back up to speed economic.

So we could go back to celebrating birthdays and holidays again so we can attend sporting events so we can get back to the lives and connections we shared before the pandemic.

It doesn't matter whether or not we always agree with one another.

It doesn't matter who you voted for.

We are Americans in our country is under threat Now.

We're now called to do the same thing that generations are proud Americans have done when faced with a crisis throughout our history, rise above our differences, to defend the strength and the vitality of our nation.

You know, that's the character of patriots.

That's the character of America.

We have to do this together.

Wearing a mask may seem like a small act.

Maybe you think your individual choice won't make any difference throughout our history about the history of our nation.

We've seen over and over how small acts add up to enormous achievements.

It's the weight many small acts together that bend the arc of history.

You know, I know there's nothing that the American people can accomplish when we work together as one people with one mission.

We can get this virus under control.

I promise you we can rebuild our economy back better than it was before.

We can address race based disparities that damage our country.

It's in our power.

So let's wear a mask.

Let's get to work.

Thank you.

May God bless you.

And for all those who have lost somebody, our heart goes out to you.

We know what it's like.

Our heart goes out to you.

May God protect our health.

Workers are health care workers on all Americans.

Thank you.