After Donald Trump on Friday said he will not lock down the United States despite a surge in the cases and hospitalisations due to coronavirus, President-elect Joe Biden said, “COVID-19 does not respect dates on the calendar” and urged an “urgent action” to be taken by the current US administration. 

The United States is witnessing a surge in cases of coronavirus as infections have new levels of record of more than 150,000 cases a day. More than 10.7 million people have been affected by the virus while over 244,000 have died due to the COVID-19 infection in the United States. 

The President-elect on Friday said, “I am alarmed by the surge in reported COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and fatalities. This crisis demands a robust and immediate federal response which has been woefully lacking.”

Trump, during a briefing on COVID-19 from the White House, on Friday said “Ideally we won’t go to a lockdown. I will not go. This administration will not be going to a lockdown.”

“I am the president-elect, but will not be president until next year. COVID-19 does not respect dates on the calendar, it is accelerating right now. Urgent action is needed today, now, by the current administration,” Biden wrote on Twitter. 

According to US media projections, Democrat Biden has won the November 3 presidential election. However, Trump has alleged election fraud and mounted legal fights in a number of battleground states.

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While Biden has started the transition to take over the White House in January, he has also named a COVID-19 task force of 12 members. However, his task force won’t come into action till he will swear in as the president of the United States. 

On the other hand, Trump, who has constantly downplayed the threat of the virus, has refused to concede the election defeat to Biden.