Joe Biden’s Inaugural To Feature Nationwide Tribute To Covid-19 Victims

Ted Johnson
·1 min read
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Joe Biden’s plans for his inauguration include a memorial to remember victims of Covid-19, including a lighting around the reflecting pool on the east side of the Lincoln Memorial.

The event will take place at 5:30 PM ET on January 19, the evening before Biden is sworn in, and his Presidential Inaugural Committee is inviting cities and towns across the country to join in by ringing church bells and lighting buildings “in a national moment of unity and remembrance.”

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Biden’s inauguration will be far different that recent ones, as the Covid-19 crisis has forced planners to limit capacity and scale back events. The inaugural parade will be reimagined, while other events, like concerts, will be virtual. Biden has suggested that it will have similarities to the Democratic National Convention, a mix of live events, speeches and virtual performances across the country. Ricky Kirshner and Stephanie Cutter, who spearheaded the convention, as executive producers of the inaugural.

Pili Tobar, communications director of the Presidential Inaugural Committee, said in a statement that “in the midst of a pandemic – when so many Americans are grieving the loss of family, friends, and neighbors – it is important that we honor those who have died, reflect on what has been one of the more challenging periods in the nation’s history, and renew our commitment to coming together to end the pandemic and rebuild our nation.”

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