Joe Biden has been sworn in as president of the United States, pledging to unite a deeply divided nation reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raising his right hand and placing his left on a Bible, Biden took the oath of office on Wednesday during a scaled-down inauguration due to the coronavirus.

“This is America’s day. This is democracy’s day. A day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve.

“Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause – the cause of democracy,” Biden said in his first address as president.

Vice President Kamala Harris, the first woman to hold the post, was sworn in shortly before Biden.

Joe Biden’s predecessor, Donald Trump, did not attend the ceremony.

Biden in his first tweet as president, he said: “There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face. That’s why today, I am heading to the Oval Office to get right to work delivering bold action and immediate relief for American families.”

There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face. That's why today, I am heading to the Oval Office to get right to work delivering bold action and immediate relief for American families.

— President Biden (@POTUS) January 20, 2021

He also pledged to unite the country and urged Trump’s supporters on Wednesday to give him a chance. “To all those who did not support us, let me say this: Hear me out.

“I promise you I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.”