On Thursday evening, during his Democratic presidential nomination acceptance speech, Biden said he would have a national strategy for combating COVID-19 on "day one" if elected.

“I would shut it down. I would listen to the scientists," Biden told ABC News on Friday when asked if he was willing to shut down the country's economy to contain the pandemic.

Biden also said the United States cannot move forward unless COVID-19 is under control.

Biden's rival, incumbent President Donald Trump, has been criticized for pushing ahead with opening schools despite objections from some who believe the pandemic is not under control yet.

The US leads the world in COVID-19 cases, with more than 5.6 million confirmed overall as of Friday night, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.