"There is no time to lose!", Joe Beden makes his first move as president shortly before taking office

President-elect Joe Biden has unveiled a $ 1.9 trillion bailout package for the U.S. economy before he takes office next week.

If approved by Congress, it would include $ 1 trillion for families with $ 1,400 in direct payments to all Americans.

The aid proposal includes $ 415 billion to fight the virus and $ 440 billion to small businesses.

Biden has vowed to defeat the pandemic that has claimed the lives of more than 385,000 Americans.  

During his campaign last year he vowed to do a better job of tackling the virus than outgoing President Donald Trump.

In a speech on Friday, Biden said: "We are facing a crisis of human suffering and there is no time to lose."

"The health of the nation is in danger," he added. "We have to act and we have to do it now."

"There will be obstacles, but I will always be honest with you, both for the progress we are making and for the obstacles we face."

Mr Biden wants $ 20 billion to go to vaccinating Americans, including setting up mass vaccination centers and sending mobile units to remote centers.

"The spread of vaccines in the United States has been a terrible failure so far," Biden said.

His administration aims to vaccinate 100 million people in 100 days.

His plan also calls for $ 50 billion to expand virus testing and $ 130 billion to help schools reopen by spring.

The plan will enable the employment of 100,000 public health workers.

It is unclear how soon the Senate will proceed, or whether it will vote to condemn Trump but the drama is expected to prove a withdrawal from Biden's agenda.