Joe Biden inauguration: How security threats and Covid don change ceremony

National Guard soldiers

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

    • Author, The Visual Journalism Team
    • Role, BBC News

President-elect Joe Biden go take oath of office for midday on Wednesday for ceremony wey go hold for US capital Washington DC.

In some ways, di inauguration go dey di same as previous ones - oga Biden go take the oath of office on di steps of di Capitol and then make e way to di White House.

But with di event happening just two weeks afta supporters of President Donald Trump storm di Capitol - in a time of global pandemic - lots of differences go dey.

Dis na in-depth look of measures wey US don put into place to deal with high concerns about security and Covid-19.

Short presentational grey line

US troops descend on DC

Plenti questions still dey come up about how mob fit overrun di Capitol on 6 January, leaving five pipo dead, and di FBI don warn of more armed protests - so no be surprise say dem don increase security measures in recent days.

Inaugurations na "National Special Security Event," and dis one mean say di US Secret Service get overall command, but dis oda mix of forces dey support dem, including di DC Metropolitan Police Department and di National Guard.

One pesin cross di street for one road block guarded by members of di National Guard for Washington DC - 16 January 2021

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

National Guardsmen begin enta di Capitol last week and eventually around 25,000 dey expected to get hand for di security efforts. For 2017, na 8,000 dey for Oga Trump inauguration.

Di Pentagon don give im approval for some of those troops to dey armed, many of dem dey stationed around di Capital wit handguns or semi-automatic rifles.

Short presentational grey line

Dem step up travel restrictions

One of di main roles for those personnel na to tanda for road blocks across di centre of di city, plus ontop of several key bridges wey cross di Potomac River.

Dem go closely guard access wit only residents or businesses allowed to move around di outer "green zone" while di "red zone" go dey limited to just authorised vehicles.

More than one dozen subway stations don also dey closed.

Map show di vehicle restrictions for place for di temporary red and green zones in Washington DC
Presentational white space

As dem dey expect make pro-Trump protesters attempt to arrive for di city from across di kontri, travel companies don also put some special measures in place.

Home rental firm Airbnb don cancel bookings for DC for di period around di inauguration.

Airlines and airports don also step up security, wit many of di major carriers dey ban passengers from being able to travel wit guns inside dia luggage, and some of those wey dey present for di Capitol riots earlier dis month don dey for no-fly list.

Amtrak, di US railway company, also tok say dem dey limit dia service for di region and passengers go see more police officers on dia trains and for dia stations.

Short presentational grey line

Ceremony dey same, but different

Incoming presidents dey always dey keen to increase di number of pipo for dia inauguration ceremonies, but dis no go be di case dis year.

Even before di attack on di Capitol on 6 January, oga Biden inaugural committee don ask supporters to stay for house because of fears say di traditional large gathering on di National Mall go turn into coronavirus super-spreader event.

Images of di stage on di west side of di Capitol wey dem dey prepare show how different di event go look, wit around 100 chairs spread over di space to allow di few guests there to keep social distance from one another.

Those guests go wear face masks and go also dey required to get negative Covid-19 test shortly before di event.

Graphic dey compare di packed stage for President Trump inauguration for 2017 to di sparse setup for Joe Biden ceremony
Presentational white space

No mass supporters stretching down di National Mall for Mr Biden to look out on.

Di National Park Service announce last week say dem go close di entire space to di public because of security concerns. Instead, display of 200,000 flags go fill some of di space.

Di Capitol building look more like fortress than di home of America politicians at di moment, with a ring of fencing around di area wey Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy describe as "non-scalable". Dem don also put similar fencing around di White House.

Graphic show di spot wia dem go swear in Oga Biden
Presentational white space
Graphic show 'non-scalable' fence and a National Guard patrol
Presentational white space

Afta dem don swear in President Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, dem go head to di east side of di Capitol wia dem go take part in di traditional "pass in review" ceremony wia di new commander in chief inspect di troops.

Dis go normally don kick off di traditional parade along Pennsylvania Avenue, wit a motorcade wey dey carry di new president 1.5 miles to di White House as crowds cheer from di side of di road. Dat one no go happun dis year sake of Covid and di high risk of violence.

Oga Biden go instead travel across di Potomac River to take part for one wreath-laying ceremony for Arlington Cemetery, di kontri largest military burial ground.

Oda former presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton go follow am - but not Donald Trump, e don break tradition to skip all of di inauguration day events.

Short presentational grey line

Deep-cleaning di White House

When Oga Biden finish for Arlington, di motorcade wey dey carry di 46th president of di US go make im way through di roadblocks to di White House, wia im go begin im term for office.

Di building don see plenti outbreaks of coronavirus for di last 12 months, wit President Trump himself admitted to hospital wit di virus back in October.

Dis one mean say dem go wipe and sanitise everything, from handrails to elevator buttons to bathroom fixtures before di Biden administration go move in, according to di federal agency wey dey oversee di housekeeping effort.

Cleaning staff disinfect di lectern for di White House Press Briefing Room - 9 April 2020

Wia dis foto come from, Getty Images

As di building na ova six floors wey get 132 rooms, e go take plenti effort to disinfect everything for di time between di last member of Trump staff leaving and di arrival of President Biden and im team.

Once Oga Biden don enta, ego get a more relaxed evening schedule than normal for a new president. Thanks to Covid and di security concerns, di traditional balls and after-parties dno go happun dis year, dem don replace am wit online concert wey Tom Hanks go host.