Biden says staff spoke with Fauci: ‘He was very, very helpful’

President elect Joe bidenJoe BidenBiden’s Team Wants to Understand Trump’s Efforts to “Hollow Out Government Agencies” of Night Defense: Trump’s Transgender Ban “Inflicts Real Damage,” Study Finds | China Opposes US Admiral’s Visit to Taiwan Protect Our World: How Biden Administration Can Save World Lives and Economies READ MORE said on Tuesday that the transition staff had been in contact with Anthony FauciAnthony Fauci Overnight Health Care: AstraZeneca Says Its COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Is Up To 90% Effective It’s Time For COVID-19 Disaster Relief … For Fauci Mothers: US Could see ‘well over 300,000’ COVID-19 PLUS deaths, the country’s leading infectious disease expert and member of the White House coronavirus task force.

Biden told reporters that although he hasn’t spoken with Fauci himself, “he’s been very, very helpful.”

Fauci confirmed to CNN that he had spoken with the president-elect’s team and that he hoped to stay in his role as head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Fauci has been in his post since 1984, a period that included working for six administrations. He became one of the country’s top health officials during the coronavirus pandemic, with polls showing broad support for him in the public.

News of the conversation comes as Biden vows to make tackling the coronavirus pandemic his top priority once he steps into the White House.

The president-elect has already indicated he will take a stronger stance to encourage people to wear masks and take social action President TrumpDonald John Trump’s team Biden wants to understand Trump’s efforts to ‘hollow out government agencies’ from Trump’s overhaul of the justice system: Trump’s ban on transgender people ‘inflicts real damage’, study finds | China opposes US admiral’s visit to Taiwan READ MORE minimized and will strengthen government tracing and contact tracing efforts.

The General Service Administration (GSA) officially “confirmed” Biden as the winner of the White House race on Monday, a move that officially allows Biden to see classified information and his employees to meet with government officials.

The conversation between Fauci and Biden staff comes amid a spike in coronavirus cases across the country, which has placed enormous stress on hospital systems and led a range of states to reimplement restrictions on coronavirus on businesses and gatherings that had been relaxed over the fall months.

There have been nearly 12.4 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States since the start of the pandemic, and the number of new cases has regularly risen to more than 100,000 per day. Over 250,000 people have died.

Public health officials have warned that the spread of the pandemic could be exacerbated during the winter months when social gatherings move to indoor environments where the virus can more easily spread.