Biden kicks off transition with plea for masks

(NBC News) President-elect Joe Biden launched his transition Monday with a primary focus on fighting the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr. Biden met with his new pandemic advisory team, and celebrated promising news of an effective vaccine from Pfizer in the pipeline.

Until it’s ready, the president-elect made a plea for the use of masks.

“It doesn’t matter your party, your point of view, we can save tens of thousands of lives if everyone would just wear a mask,” Mr. Biden said.

The Biden team is moving forward with their transition plan even as President Trump continues to contest the outcome of the election, claiming fraud without offering evidence.

Emily Murphy, the Trump appointee heading the General Services Administration has so far refused to authorize the resources to help the Biden team ramp up its transition work.

While the president’s loyalists are standing by him, some establishment Republicans are congratulating the new president-elect, including former President George W. Bush and Senator Mitt Romney.