Ahead of Thanksgiving, US President-elect Joe Biden reminded Americans that the country was at war with the coronavirus and not against each other and urged Americans to put an end to the ‘grim season of division’ in the country.

In his Thanksgiving Address to the nation, the 78-year old former vice president urged fellow Americans to exercise caution and refrain from travelling during the holiday season as COVID-19 cases surge in the country. 

The United States has been the worst affected country in the world with more than 13 million cases being recorded in the country since the inception of the pandemic. The global powerhouse has registered 268,200 plus COVID-19 related deaths with 2,400 deaths being recorded in the country on Wednesday.

The Democratic Presidential candidate for the 2020 US Presidential election said, “I know the country’s grown weary of the fight. But we need to remember, we’re at war with the virus, not with one another. Not with each other.”

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Speaking from his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, Biden said, “This is the moment where we need to steel our spines, redouble our efforts and recommit ourselves to the fight.”

The death toll on Wednesday marked the highest number of deaths in the country in a single day in six months. 

While 7,805,280 people have recovered from the disease, 5,064,463 active cases in the country. The tests per million conducted in the US stands at 562,248 and the country has had 810 deaths per million population.

The Democrat added, “Let’s remember: We’re all in this together.”

Biden offered condolences to people who lost loved ones during the pandemic and addressed the pain felt by the untimely death of near and dear ones.

The President-elect vowed that American would ultimately triumph over the pandemic.

Biden said, “I believe this grim season of division… is going to give way to a year of light and unity.” 

He added, “Believe me, I know.”

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“I remember that first Thanksgiving. The empty chair, the silence. Takes your breath away,” he said, apparently referring to the personal tragedies in his own life.

The former vice president lost his wife and infant daughter in a car accident at Christmas time in 1972, while his son Beau died of brain cancer in 2015.