UPDATE, DEC 6:

The US death toll reached 281,199 on Saturday, an increase of 2,267 in 24 hours.

Confirmed cases are 14,583,566, an addition of 215,929.

President-elect Joe Biden calls on Congress for “urgent action” to deal with a raging pandemic and its economic effects.

Biden issued a statement after the US set a daily record for deaths as well as cases, and a Government report showed a stalling economy with little rebound in millions of lost jobs.

“The situation requires urgent action,” he said. “Americans need help and they need it now.”

The US death toll reached 278,932, with 2,316 deaths after Thursday’s record of 2,804.

Confirmed cases are 14,367,637, a record increase of 227,934. Hospitalizations are 101,276, with 19,858 patients in intensive care.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a jobs increase of only 245,000 in November, below the 440,000 expected by economists and a fall from the 610,000 reported in October.

Despite a third-quarter recovery, there has been a net loss of more than 10 million jobs across the US since the start of the pandemic, and more than 20 million Americans are claiming unemployment benefits. Millions more have dropped out of the job market altogether.

Biden summarized, “[This] confirms we remain in the midst of one of the worst economic and jobs crises in modern history. This is a grim jobs report. It shows an economy that is stalling.”

“A Deal Must Be Done for the American People”

The President-elect and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have named a 13-member Coronavirus Task Force of medical, public health, and technology experts. Biden has asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, sidelined by Trump, to serve as his chief medical advisor — a request that Fauci accepted on Friday. Vivek Murthy is to be named as Surgeon General, returning to his post from the Obama Administration.

But Biden does not formally take office until January 20, and Government officials and medical experts have warned of a further spike in the pandemic amid the inaction of Donald Trump and the blocking of a relief package by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

See also Coronavirus: US Sets Daily Death Record as Biden Urges Masks for 100 Days
Coronavirus: “Most Difficult Time” in US History as New Records Set

Trump again said nothing on Friday about the virus. Instead, he railed about Biden’s victory as courts handed the Trump camp four more losses in their attempts to overturn the November 3 election.

The losses were in the key states of Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, and Wisconsin that contributed to Biden’s 306-232 margin in the Electoral College. Attorneys for Trump and his allies have now lost 46 of 47 lawsuits, with their sole victory only striking out a few hundred ballots in Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader McConnell is continuing his 7-month blockade of relief measures to help individuals, small businesses, and states.

The Democratic-majority House passed the $3 trillion HEROES Act last May, but McConnell prevented adoption before the election, even after the Democratic leadership and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin neared agreement on a $2.2 trillion compromise.

Negotiations are now focused on a $950 billion interim package, but McConnell is refusing to consider the bill, instead pushing a more limited $500 billion proposal.

Biden explained on Friday:

If Congress and President Trump fail to act, by the end of December, 12 million Americans will lose the unemployment benefits they rely on to keep food on the table and pay their bills. Emergency paid leave will end. The moratorium on evictions will expire. States and cities will lose vital tools they need to help pay for testing and public health workers to fight COVID, to keep children and educators safe in schools, and to provide assistance to keep small businesses alive.

He countered the obstacles set by Trump and McConnell, saying he was “encouraged” by progress on Capitol Hill:

In the weeks since the election ended, there were questions about whether Democrats and Republicans could work together. Right now, they are showing they can. Congress and President Trump must get a deal done for the American people.

Millions Under Stay-at-Home Orders in California

With the Trump Administration doing little, some states are stepping up restrictions to curb the surge.

Stay-at-home orders in California, with the highest cases and third-highest death toll in the US, are taking effect this weekend.

On Thursday, Gavin Newsom announced measures to be implemented as soon as hospital intensive care capacity falls below 15% in a region.

Anticipating that mark, officials in the San Franciso Bay Area announced their orders on Friday. Other regions are expected to follow.

Michigan, Oregon, Washington State, Minnesota, Delaware, and cities from Los Angeles to Philadelphia have also reimposed restrictions.