JOE BIDEN has publicly pleaded with Americans to wear face coverings in order to save lives amid the Covid-19 crisis.
The President-elect urged the public to "turn this pandemic around" following nearly 250,000 deaths from the virus in the United States since the outbreak.
Mr Biden insists that the US still faces a "very dark winter" and the "worst wave yet", in spite of news that a vaccine may be just around the corner, insisting that it was "important to understand that the end of the battle against Covid-19 is still months away".
He asked Americans to put aside political differences to tackle the crisis.
"I implore you, wear a mask", he said in a TV address on Monday.
"[Wearing masks is the] single most effective thing we can do to stop the spread of Covid.
"A mask is not a political statement but it is a good way to start pulling the country together."
Biden's stance on mask-wearing is in stark contrast to President Trump's, who frequently refused to wear any face protection, rarely endorsing personal protective equipment (PPE), and often downplaying the importance of them to his supporters.
Mr Biden went on to say that there would be a "bedrock of science" to his policies around Covid-19, and that he would look to 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."
