The committee charged with planning the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is asking the public to stay home on Jan. 20 and participate in virtual activities instead.
On Tuesday, the committee announced that it had hired production experts to plan “a new and innovative program” for Americans to safely participate in inaugural events, including a “reimagined” inaugural parade.
While the plan includes a swearing-in ceremony at the Capitol, the committee said it would be a significantly scaled-down event because of the pandemic. Previous inaugurations have drawn thousands of people to Washington for a week of celebration.
“President-elect Biden’s unwavering commitment to the safety of the American people is our North Star as we plan an inauguration that protects public health while honoring inaugural traditions and engaging Americans across the country,” the committee’s executive director, Maju Varghese, said in a statement on Tuesday. He said additional details about health precautions and virtual participation would be coming soon.
The committee also announced on Tuesday that David A. Kessler, a former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and an adviser on the Biden transition, would also serve as an adviser to the planners.
The plans for a scaled-back inauguration are in keeping with Mr. Biden’s focus on demonstrating responsible behavior to minimize transmission of the coronavirus. He has said he would call on Americans to wear facial coverings for his first 100 days in office, a period in which he has vowed to get “at least 100 million Covid vaccine shots into the arms of the American people.” Vaccinations began this week as the nation’s death toll passed 300,000.
