It has been over 250 days since the beginning of lockdown in the United States and, as winter is quickly approaching and the holidays are taking place, cases have never been worse. As cases keep climbing and there continue to be hundreds of deaths across the United States, the ones who fill the leadership role of this country need to make the situation better every day before it continues to get worse. 

Earlier this month, Joe Biden was elected to be the 46th president of the United States. To many Americans across the country, this was a huge relief as President-elect Biden has already taken action and has assured the country that he is determined to do whatever it takes to get rid of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nature.com has an article explaining that “just two days after being declared victors in the US election, future president Joe Biden and vice-president Kamala Harris announced a COVID-19 advisory board stacked with infectious-disease researchers and former public-health advisers who will help them to craft a pandemic plan as they transition into office.” 

This is vital to the success of containing this pandemic because of the influence that the President of the United States has. The more that President-elect Biden shows that he is invested in coming up with a solution, the more that Americans all over the country will take the correct safety precautions to ensure that everyone is doing their part to reach a common goal.  

A huge factor in limiting the amount of cases per day and how often the virus is contracted and transmitted is the ability for people to get tested whenever they feel any type of symptom. To ensure that this happens, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have created a seven step plan that has already taken action.

The first step is to again fix Donald Trump’s testing and tracing fiasco. Step two is to fix personal protective equipment. This includes a fully revamped way of producing more masks and face shields to ensure that they are fully accessible to every American that will need one in any given situation.

Then, Biden plans on providing clear and consistent evidence based national guidance to ensure that communities all over the country know exactly what’s going on with full transparency. The fourth step is to plan for the effective, equitable distributions of treatments and vaccines by investing 25 billion dollars to ensure that everyone, not just the wealthy, will receive the care and treatment that they need.

Next, it is very important for those who are at high risk to receive the care and treatment that they need; Joe Biden needs to protect older Americans and others at high risk. The sixth task is to rebuild and expand the defenses that Trump has dismantled to predict, prevent, and mitigate pandemic threats, including those coming from China. The United States has the most COVID cases by far out of any country, so limiting external factors from other countries is a must in Joe Biden’s eyes. Finally, Biden has implemented mask mandates nationwide by working with governors and mayors and by asking the American people to do what they do best: step up in a time of crisis. This will not only limit the spread, but will save thousands and thousands of lives over the next couple of months as cases continue to rise. 

The future president Joe Biden has instilled confidence in America that, with hard work and persistent dedication, will continue to prove this country will soon be heading in the right direction. This seven step plan will hopefully be executed and will save the lives of Americans all over the country. As members of this country, it is important for everyone to continue to do their part, be safe, and remember that life will be better in due time.