Joe Biden prepares for inauguration amid pandemic, security concerns

President-elect Joe Biden is preparing for a swearing-in ceremony like no other.

Plans for the 46th president’s Inauguration Day celebrations were upended by the coronavirus pandemic long before violence rocked the U.S. Capitol two weeks ago, sending parts of Washington, D.C., into lockdown and prompting the mobilization of tens of thousands of National Guard troops to boost security for the ceremonial transition of power.

“This is breaking new ground in the annals of history,” Boston University presidential historian Thomas Whalen said. “We’ve had inaugurations in times of war, in crises foreign and domestic, but never in the middle of a deadly pandemic.”

The highly contagious virus has forced Biden’s team to plan a largely virtual inauguration, working to preserve the traditional pomp and circumstance of the day through musical performances and online celebrations while encouraging the throngs of people who typically gather on the National Mall to stay home.

History will be made in several other ways on Wednesday: Biden, 78, will become the oldest president to take the oath of office. Former California U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris, 56, will become the first woman and woman of color to serve as vice president.

Outgoing Vice President Mike Pence will attend the inauguration. President Trump will not — the first such snub by an incumbent president since Andrew Johnson.

Biden arrived in D.C. by plane Tuesday, unable to take an Amtrak train into the District as he had planned, due to security concerns. He and Harris paid tribute in an evening ceremony to the 400,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19.

Earlier in the afternoon, Biden bid a teary-eyed farewell to Delaware, saying his home state “will be written on my heart.” He expressed just “one regret” — that his son, Beau Biden, who died of cancer in 2015, was not there with him.

Biden’s administration has already pledged to undo several Trump-era actions on Day One, including rejoining the Paris climate accord and reversing his travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries. Biden will also mandate face masks on federal property and on interstate travel, and extend both federal restrictions on evictions and the pause on student loan payments.

President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden leave a COVID-19 memorial event at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Lights surround the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, placed as a memorial to COVID-19 victims Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington, after President-elect Joe Biden spoke, with the U.S. Capitol in the background. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden are joined by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband Doug Emhoff during a COVID-19 memorial event at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President-elect Joe Biden speaks at the Major Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in New Castle, Del. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President-elect Joe Biden stands with his wife Jill Biden after speaking at the Major Joseph R. "Beau" Biden III National Guard/Reserve Center, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021, in New Castle, Del. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)