Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.Photo: Matt Baron/Shutterstock
Similar to this year’s unprecedentedRepublicanandDemocratic National Conventions— which were largely remote amid of thenovel coronavirus (COVID-19)pandemic, especially the DNC — thatJoe BidenandKamala Harris' inauguration in January will similarly be mostly virtual, according to organizers of the event.
South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, co-chair of Biden’s inauguration committee, toldreportersthis week the Jan. 20 event will be 75-80 percent virtual.
“We are going to discourage anything that could be a spreader. We are going to say to people: ‘Please, follow our example,’ " Clyburn, 80, said.
“What I’m hopeful is that we will have the swearing-in and, maybe if we can get this virus under control, have a big celebration of this country’s liberty on July 4th,” Clyburn said. “Have this president — at that time, President Joe Biden — celebrate his ascendance into the presidency during the July 4th celebration down at the Mall.”
Clyburn continued: “Hopefully things will be under control then, vaccines will be widespread, people will have gotten beyond this pandemic and we can go back to some modicum of normalcy and have a big celebration of Joe Biden’s presidency.”
President-elect Biden has echoed Clyburn, telling reporters last week that his swearing-in would likely mirror how the 2020 DNC was centered around remote programming, rather than in-person events, and aired both on television andonline.
“I think you’re going to see something that is closer to what the convention was like than a typical inauguration,” he said, according toThe Wall Street Journal.
“First and foremost, my objective is to keep America safe but still allow people to celebrate,“ Biden said, per theJournal. ”People want to celebrate. People want to be able to say we’ve passed the baton. We’re moving on and democracy is functioning.”
According to theJournal, construction has commenced on the inauguration platform outside the Capitol but it’s unclear how it might be used.
Health officials have warned that the winter months will be particularly difficult for the coronavirus. With cases spiking in the U.S. and hospitals in parts of the countrynearing capacity, experts have advised against hosting large gatherings, particularly indoors, in an effort to contain the spread.
Despite the surge, the Trump White House has already moved forward with plans for several well-attended, indoorholiday parties. The State Department also reportedly had plans for aholiday partyfor nearly 1,000 people on Dec. 15.
Officials, however, insisted they were taking some precautions at these events even as top health experts said such parties were not recommended.
In a recent appearance onGood Morning America, Surgeon General Jerome Adams said that indoor gatherings can be dangerous, even with preventative measures.
“We want everyone to understand that these holiday celebrations can be super-spreader events,” he said then, adding that federal health guidelines against holding indoor events “apply to the White House, they apply to the American people, they apply to everyone.”
Dozens of peoplein the White House orbit — including thepresidenthimself and, more recently, his attorneyRudy Giuliani— have tested positive for COVID-19 since the virus began to spread in the U.S.
Trump, 74, has not said whether or not he will attend any of Biden’s inaugural events, as is customary for an outgoing president. He is said to be weighing hosting acompeting eventinstead.
source: people.com
