Among the events to be held on the eve of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration, a memorial for the lives lost due to the coronavirus is scheduled for Tuesday.
As of Monday, more there have been more than 398,000 coronavirus-related deaths in the US.
The memorial is will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET, one night before Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take the oath of office. The Presidential Inaugural Committee is calling on cities to join by ringing church bells in a “national moment of unity and remembrance.”
The event in D.C. will include a lighting around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Also as part of the inauguration, the inaugural committee said it will install a public art display, which will include a “field of flags.” The field will include over 191,000 flags placed throughout the National Mall.
“The inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris represents the beginning of a new national journey. However, 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,” said Pili Tobar, who is the communications director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
The events on Tuesday, however, will largely be held virtually due to increased security on the National Mall following the Jan. 6 riot at the US Capitol.
