By Trevor Hunnicutt, Nandita Bose
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Joe Biden will launch an array of initiatives on Thursday to rein in the raging coronavirus pandemic, tackling his top priority on his first full day in the White House as he tries to turn the page on Donald Trump’s tumultuous leadership.
Biden will sign 10 executive orders to fight the pandemic, including ordering the use of disaster funds to help re-open schools and mandating the wearing of protective masks on planes and buses, officials said.
The new Democratic president, who took the oath of office on Wednesday, has put the pandemic at the top of a daunting list of challenges he faces in his administration’s early days, including rebuilding a ravaged economy and addressing racial injustice.
Opening a blitz of policy rollouts and executive actions designed to meet some of those challenges, Biden signed 15 executive actions on Wednesday that are designed to turn the page and sweep away some of Trump’s policies.
