U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday reopened the nation's online health insurance marketplace, offering Americans who cannot obtain coverage through their employers another way to obtain it, which he said was aimed at undoing "damage" done by the former President Donald Trump.

In an executive order, Biden restored access to the healthcare.gov site, allowing the citizens to sign up for insurance through the government exchange. The system was created by former President Barack Obama's sweeping 2010 Affordable Care Act, while the Trump administration reduced spending on it.

Biden, who took office last week, also directed federal agencies to "re-examine" Trump-era policies like work requirements that made it more difficult for people to qualify for Medicaid, the government-run health insurance program for the poor.

The actions were the latest in a blizzard of moves by the new Democratic president to reverse the policies of the Republican Trump.

"Today I'm about to sign two executive orders – basically the best way to describe them – to undo the damage Trump has done," Biden said in the Oval Office.

He also rescinded the "Mexico City Policy" that bans U.S. funding for international non-profit organizations that provide abortion counseling.

Biden has vowed to shore up the program, arguing that the changes are urgent because of the coronavirus pandemic. The nation has surpassed the milestone of 25 million known COVID-19 infections, which have killed more than 430,000 people and thrown millions out of work.

U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said Biden's actions "are a lifeline for millions of American families and a clear sign that our nation now has the leadership in the White House to turn these crises around."

Biden has made battling the virus a priority of his first days in office and proposed a new $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package for individuals and businesses on top of $4 trillion in aid approved last year.

The U.S. Senate and House will begin moving forward on the plan next week but Republicans and some Democrats have balked at the cost.

The Republicans have long opposed the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, criticizing the cost and quality of care as well as extensive government involvement in healthcare markets.

(With input from Reuters)