Biden addresses US, vows action against coronavirus

Donald Trump's Democratic rival Joe Biden said he would he waste no time in addressing the Covid pandemic upon taking office, as he closed in on winning the US presidency.

"I want everyone, everyone to know on day one we're going to put our plan to control this virus into action," Biden said in a late night address Friday from his hometown Wilmington, in Delaware.

Biden expressed confidence that he would defeat President Donald Trump as vote counting dragged on from Tuesday's election but stopped short of declaring himself the winner. He pledged to unite a bitterly divided nation.

The virus has killed more than 231,000 Americans and infected over 9 million others.

"It's time for us to come together as a nation to heal," Biden said, adding it was "clear and convincing" that he is going to win the race for the White House.

"We don't have the final declaration victory yet. But the numbers tell us it is clear... Clear and convincing story. We are going to win this race," he said.

As per the latest projections, Biden has 264 electoral college votes and Trump trails behind with 213. Biden was leading in four of the five key battleground states where counting of ballots was still going on. Trump was trailing behind Biden in Arizona (by 38,455 votes), Georgia (4,224), Nevada (22,657) and Pennsylvania (19,500) but leading in North Carolina with 76,587 votes.

To be declared the winner of the US election, either of the two candidates needs at least 270 of the 538 electoral college votes.