Summary

  • Newly elected US President Joe Biden warned US Covid deaths "will likely exceed" 500,000 by next month

  • In his first full day in office, Mr Biden signed a raft of executive orders to tackle the pandemic

  • These include mandatory mask-wearing at airports and some public transport, accelerating vaccinations and increased testing

  • President Biden has already reversed a number of Trump policies - including scrapping plans for the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline

  • He is returning the US to the Paris climate accord and restoring ties to the World Health Organization

  • Many world leaders welcomed the new presidency, hoping for a reset in relations after four turbulent years under Donald Trump

  • New figures on jobless claims contain a stark warning on the challenges facing the economy

Live Reporting

Edited by Jude Sheerin

  1. Welcome to our live coverage of Biden's first full day

    U.S. President-elect Joe Biden fist bumps newly sworn-in Vice President Kamala Harris after she took the oath of office on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021 in Washington, DC.Getty Images

    Newly-elected US President Joe Biden and his Vice-President Kamala Harris

    Hello and welcome to our coverage of Joe Biden's first full day in office as America's 46th president. Wednesday saw a lot happening, so here's a recap:

    • Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States at an inauguration ceremony that was restricted due to the coronavirus pandemic and heavily guarded as a result of the Capitol riot on 6 January
    • Kamala Harris was sworn in as vice-president - the first woman and first black and Asian-American person to serve in this role
    • Biden set to work hours after his inauguration, signing 15 executive orders and reversing some of Trump's policies
    • These include re-joining the 2015 Paris climate agreement, ending the travel ban on some Muslim-majority countries, scrapping plans for the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline and mandating mask wearing and social distancing in federal buildings
    • A star-studded concert was televised on Wednesday evening from the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC, featuring the likes of Bruce Springsteen, John Legend and Demi Lovato
    • Ex-President Donald Trump, who snubbed the inauguration ceremony, has returned to his Mar-a-Lago golf club in Florida