US President-elect Joe Biden has named the members of his coronavirus task force, highlighting his pledge to make tackling Covid-19 his top priority.
Mr Biden said one of his “most important battles” was to manage the surge in cases and bring a safe and viable vaccine to the people.
He is also forging ahead on transition issues from climate change to migrants.
But President Trump still refuses to concede and is backing legal challenges to results in several key states.
Mr Biden’s victory was declared on Saturday but it remains a projection, with a number of states still counting votes. The nationwide difference in votes for the two candidates is about 4.5 million.
Mr Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris have launched a website for the transition, saying the team will also focus on the economy and tackling racism.
But the president-elect will need the help of an agency called the General Services Administration to begin the transition process and its Trump-appointed head has given no indication when that will happen,
On Monday, Mr Biden set out the blueprints for his Transition Covid-19 Advisory Board.
In his first appointments since his victory was announced, he named three co-chairs and 10 members. Among the co-chairs named is Vivek Murthy, who was appointed US surgeon-general by President Barack Obama in 2014 and removed by President Trump in 2017.
One member is Rick Bright, who says he was ignored and then removed by the Trump administration over his early warnings on Covid.
In a statement, Mr Biden said the board would help to get the virus under control, deliver relief for working families, address racial disparities and work to reopen schools and businesses.
He also said it would “elevate the voices of scientists and public health experts”. President Trump’s comments on Covid-19 have often conflicted with scientists, including leading infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci.
Mr Biden on Monday also welcomed the news from Pfizer and BioNTech that preliminary analysis showed their vaccine in development could prevent more than 90% of people from getting Covid-19.
