US President-elect Joe Biden said Thursday he would not order a nationwide shutdown to fight the Covid-19 pandemic despite a surge in cases. "There's no circumstance which I can see that would require total national shutdown. I think that would be counterproductive," Biden, who takes office on January 20, told reporters. The surge in cases has alarmed authorities to the point that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged Americans not to travel for next week's Thanksgiving holiday. Vice President Mike Pence, who heads the White House pandemic task force, did not mention mask wearing or Thanksgiving travel during a briefing Thursday.

Source: Mint November 19, 2020 22:30 UTC