While much of Washington is twisted in knots over the upcoming US presidential election, there is another contingent already busy trying to figure out how to stage an inauguration for the to-be-determined next US president during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visitors to the US Capitol and the White House can already see preparations under way for the Jan. 20 ceremony, a date set by the 20th Amendment to the US constitution, for whoever emerges as the winner. Low-flying helicopters were swooping around town as part of beefed-up security precautions.
Construction work is taking place with the mindset that it is easier to scale down, if the pandemic makes that necessary, than to scale up, said Paige Waltz, a spokesperson for the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.
Photo: AP
The committee has voted to hold the inaugural ceremonies on the West Front of the Capitol, a tradition that began under former US president Ronald Reagan.
The Architect of the Capitol is busy constructing the inaugural platform from scratch.
The platform traditionally holds more than 1,600 people, including the president and vice president, members of the US Congress, US Supreme Court justices, and the outgoing president and vice president. Bleachers above the platform hold 1,000 additional people.
The view from the West Front stretches the length of the National Mall, where Americans from around the country gather to catch a glimpse of history.
However, in recognition that life has changed as a result of COVID-19, lawmakers are leaving all options on the table when it comes to safety precautions that could be taken. Will attendees be required to wear a mask? Or have their temperatures taken? Or social distance to the extent possible?
Waltz said the six-member committee overseeing the inaugural ceremonies is “committed to traditional, inclusive and safe ceremonies, and will continue to monitor the situation and provide information as it comes available.”
The US Nuclear Security Administration, part of the US Department of Energy, has begun conducting low-altitude helicopter flights around the capital.
The department said the aircraft contain state-of-the art radiation-sensing technology, and the flights are part of standard preparations to protect public safety.
For the Washington metro area, the inauguration has traditionally provided an economic boost, as visitors fill local hotels and restaurants.
Next year’s inauguration comes at a difficult time for the District of Columbia. Visitor spending was down 80 percent, or US$6.9 billion, from March 8 to Oct. 10, compared with the same period last year, according to Tourism Economics.
Many of the region’s restaurants are shuttered, while hotel room demand was down by nearly 5 million rooms, or 83 percent, from the same period last year, according to STR Inc, which tracks the hotel industry.
“Traditionally, a second-term inauguration is not as big as the first, and if we have a new president taking office, numbers are typically larger,” said Elliott Ferguson, president of Destination DC, the district’s marketing organization.
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