President-elect Joe Biden.Photo: JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
Organizers for the Jan. 20 presidential inaugurationare askingpeople to not attend and instead watch the ceremony from home, as a precaution amid thenovel coronavirus (COVID-19)pandemic.
In contrast with the big and bustling inaugurations of administrations past, President-electJoe Bidenand Vice President-electKamala Harriswill instead be sworn into office in front of Congress members and a limited crowd.
Biden will still give an inaugural speech but other hallmarks of the event will be “reimagined,” out of public health concern.
“The ceremony’s footprint will be extremely limited, and the parade that follows will be reimagined. The [inaugural committee] is urging the public to refrain from any travel and participate in the inaugural activities from home,” organizers said in a news release on Tuesday.
“Safety must be our top priority,” Sen.Amy Klobuchar, a member of the congressional committee helping organize the event, said in a statement this week. “While the pandemic has forced us to limit in-person attendance, it also brings opportunities to honor our democracy in innovative ways so that Americans across the country can experience Inauguration Day from home.”
Biden, 78, and Harris, 56, will take their oaths of office at the Capitol on Jan. 20, as is customary, the inaugural committee said Tuesday, adding that the event will take place with “vigorous health and safety protocols.”
Organizerspreviously saidthe event will be largely broadcast remotely, similar to the 2020 Democratic National Convention.
Biden is in a high-risk category for COVID-19 because of his age and is expected to receive a vaccine next week,The Washington Postreported.
President-elect Joe Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty
Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Crowds ranging from hundreds of thousands to more than a million have gathered in Washington, D.C., in recent decades to witness presidential swearing-ins, with the inauguration expanding to include attendant ceremonies — donor dinners, a ball and the like.
The congressional committee said it typically gives out about 200,000 tickets for the inauguration itself, but this year is limiting the number of tickets to the 535 members of Congress, plus one guest for each. Some other notable government figures areexpected to be invited.
Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican from Missouri and the chairman of the committee, said the group is “working on enhanced opportunities to watch the ceremonies online, in addition to the traditional televised national broadcast.”
President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.Carolyn Kaster/AP/Shutterstock
President-elect Joe Biden and incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.Drew Angerer/Getty
Biden’s team announced Tuesday that executive producers Stephanie Cutter and Ricky Kirshner and senior adviser Rod O’Connor would be leading the event planning and details would be released in the coming weeks.
“The trio brings with them a diverse group of award-winning professionals with decades of experience envisioning and producing some of the nation’s most-watched events, including Democratic National Conventions, presidential inaugurations, Super Bowl halftime shows, Tony Awards, and more,” the committee said.
Dr. David Kessler, who was tapped to be Biden’s chief medical advisor on his inauguration committee, said the pandemic “is continuing to have a significant public health impact across the nation.”
At least 307,642 people have died in the U.S. from COVID-19, according to aNew York Timestracker, while more than 17 million have contracted the virus.
“Americans everywhere must do their part to slow the spread of the virus: wear masks, stay home, and limit gatherings,” Kessler said. “We are asking Americans to participate in inaugural events from home to protect themselves, their families, friends, and communities.”
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source: people.com
