President-elect Joe Biden called for hope, unity and strength in a Thanksgiving address delivered from Wilmington, Delaware, on Wednesday, amid a worsening pandemic that led health officials to recommend Americans forgo traditional holiday gatherings this year.

In his address, Biden acknowledged the tough road the United States faces in the months ahead, as the virus increasingly spreads and the country remains politically divided. 

The president-elect harkened back to a story about George Washington, who led his troops into battle during a low point of the Revolutionary War, despite harsh winter conditions. 

“Now we find ourselves again facing a long, hard winter,” Biden said. “The virus has brought us pain and loss and frustration and cost so many lives.”

Biden called the coming days a continued battle for the “soul of a nation,” a phrase he used when first announcing his run for president (and throughout his successful presidential campaign). 

“I know the country has grown weary of the fight. But we need to remember we’re at war with the virus — not each other,” he added. “Let’s remember: we are all in this together.”

Biden said he planned to celebrate Thanksgiving at home in Wilmington, with his wife Jill, his daughter Ashley and her husband, with the rest of the family celebrating apart in small groups. 

He also spoke directly to people who have lost family this year, remembering back to his first Thanksgiving without his wife and daughter at the table after they were killed in a car accident, as well as the death of his son, Beau, in 2015.

“It’s hard to even think of looking forward. And it’s so hard to hope. I understand,” he said.  

Biden called smaller holiday gatherings difficult but necessary to slow the spread of the virus.

His address came as more than 260,000 Americans have died from the virus and the number of new cases reported continues to set records daily, a number that could soon approach 200,000 per day.

Biden once again promised to make COVID-19 an initial priority when he enters office, which he said will include a nationally-coordinated response, increasing the supply of personal protective equipment and targeted plans to keep businesses and schools open. 

But he acknowledged the months ahead will be incredibly difficult without Americans taking personal responsibility to slow the spread. He encouraged wearing masks — holding up his own as an example — distancing and limiting the size of gatherings, all recommendations public health officials have repeatedly affirmed in recent days.

“Every decision we make matters. Every decision can save lives,” Biden said. “None of these steps we’re asking people to take are political statements. Every one of them is based on science.”

The president-elect also addressed the political divide among Americans, saying he’s hopeful about the country’s future despite the cloud of challenges hanging overhead.

“I believe that this grim season of division and demonization will give way to a year of light and unity,” Biden said.

“You want us to hear one another again, see one another again, respect one another again. You want us — Democrats and Republicans and Independents — to come together and work together,” he added. “And that, my friends, is what I am determined to do.”