WASHINGTON - Hours after being sworn in during a historic ceremony, new US president Joe Biden began dismantling the legacy of his predecessor.

He signed 17 executive orders, memorandums and proclamations on his first evening in the Oval Office, far more than any other recent president. They were aimed at halting or reversing some of Donald Trump's most controversial policies.

Funding for the US-Mexico border wall was ended and the travel ban lifted, while a series of measures will be enacted to tackle the pandemic which has so far claimed more than 400,000 lives in the US.

“There is no time to waste when it comes to tackling the crises we face”, Biden said. And there is “no time to start like today”.

Other orders halted the travel ban from Muslim-majority countries and saw the US rejoin the Paris climate agreement.

Wearing a mask while seated behind the Resolute Desk, Mr Biden said there was "no time to start like today". His first action was an executive order that all US government employees wear face coverings. Immigration and the environment were also a major focus.

While Mr Trump broke long-standing practice by skipping Mr Biden's inauguration, he did follow through on one tradition by leaving behind a note for his successor. The new Democratic president said Mr Trump "wrote a very generous letter".

Mr Biden also made changes to how the Oval Office is decorated, risking a transatlantic spat with Britain after it appeared he had decided not to display a bust of Sir Winston Churchill.