Biden orders mask wearing, travel clampdown in corona combat.

America's latest war is against an invisible foe as new President Joe Biden tightened mask-wearing rules and ordered quarantine for people flying into the United States spending first full day in power Thursday on groundwork for tackling the coronavirus pandemic. The US is the worst victim of the invasive virus with the highest casualties of 400,000, and so combating the all- upsetting pandemic came as the first priority on his agenda as Biden fired out 10 executive orders from the White House. He told the nation that the Covid-19 death toll would likely rise from 400,000 to half a million next month - and that warrants drastic action to forestall. 'We're in a national emergency. It's time we treated it like one,' he said, adding that he wants to restore public trust in the wake of the divisive Donald Trump era. Scientists, he said, will 'work free from political interference' under his administration, and he pledged: 'We will level with you when we make a mistake.' In addition to needing a negative Covid test result before flying, travelers to the US will now need to quarantine upon arrival, Biden said. This toughened existing regulations under Trump. Biden's other orders included reenergizing a so-far-stumbling vaccination program and expanding requirements to wear masks on public transport. Wearing masks 'has become a partisan issue, unfortunately, but it's a patriotic act,' Biden said, in a marked contrast to Trump, who for months gave mixed messages about whether or not to encourage the practice. - 100 million doses - Although vaccines were produced at a blistering speed in Trump's final year in power, the rollout has been chaotic. 'What we're inheriting is so much worse than we could have imagined,' Jeff Zients, the new White House Covid-19 response coordinator, told reporters. Biden has announced a goal of 100 million vaccines administered in 100 days, with his top experts saying it remains possible. So far, only 16.5 million doses have been injected. When asked Thursday if he had been ambitious enough, Biden shot back: 'When I announced it, you all said it's not possible. Come on, give me a break, man.' Biden said the administration was expanding places where Americans will be able to get their doses, with new community centers and extra medical staff to administer the vaccine. He has also restored top infectious diseases doctor Anthony Fauci to a leading, visible advisory role in the White House, after Trump complained about the...