US1 min(s) read
Published 15:32 22 Aug 2020 GMT
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has announced that - if elected - he would shut the United States down if scientists recommended it.
Biden made the comments during his first joint interview with Kamala Harris.
Speaking with ABC News' David Muir, Biden was asked whether or not he would use his presidential powers to shut down the country if the coronavirus pandemic and flu combined, to which he said:
"I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives, because we cannot get the country moving until we control the virus.
"That is the fundamental flaw of this administration's thinking to begin with. In order to keep the country running and moving and the economy growing, and people employed, you have to fix the virus, you have to deal with the virus."
"I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists," he added.
Per the John Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center, there have been over 175,467 deaths as a result of COVID-19 - the highest of any country in the world.
Speaking at the final night of the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Biden told the people of the US that "united we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America," and outlined exactly what he'd do if voted in as President.
"If I'm president on day one we'll implement the national strategy I've been laying out since March," he said.
The 77-year-old then spoke about his plan to tackle the ongoing pandemic:
"We'll develop and deploy rapid tests with results available immediately. We'll make the medical supplies and protective equipment our country needs.
"And we'll make them here in America. So we will never again be at the mercy of China and other foreign countries in order to protect our own people.
Biden's full DNC speech can be seen below:
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Biden continued:
"We'll make sure our schools have the resources they need to be open, safe, and effective.
"We'll put the politics aside and take the muzzle off our experts so the public gets the information they need and deserve. The honest, unvarnished truth. They can deal with that.
"We'll have a national mandate to wear a mask-not as a burden, but to protect each other.
"It's a patriotic duty."
And in an effort to connect with the millions that have been affected by the grief the disease has caused, Biden spoken openly about his own personal loss:
"I know how it feels to lose someone you love. I know that deep black hole that opens up in your chest. That you feel your whole being is sucked into it. I know how mean and cruel and unfair life can be sometimes.
"But I've learned two things.
"First, your loved ones may have left this Earth but they never leave your heart. They will always be with you.
"And second, I found the best way through pain and loss and grief is to find purpose.
"As God's children each of us have a purpose in our lives. And we have a great purpose as a nation."
However, Donald Trump was not impressed by Biden's efforts on Thursday.
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Tweeting to his followers, Trump said: "In 47 years, Joe did none of the things of which he now speaks. He will never change, just words!"
