President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. arrived in Washington on Tuesday and led a national mourning for Americans killed by the coronavirus pandemic when the death toll reached 400,000, a gesture to the tragedy the country had suffered, even when he promised that the light would pierce the darkness.
On the eve of his inauguration as the 46th president of the United States, Biden flew from his home in Wilmington, Del., To the capital, and headed for the Lincoln Memorial, where he presided over a brief ceremony in honor of those who died of Covid-19 in the last year.
“To heal, we must remember,” said Biden, in front of the Reflecting Pool, which was surrounded by 400 lights to commemorate the 400,000 victims of the virus. “It is difficult at times to remember. But this is how we heal. It is important to do this as a nation. That’s why we’re here today. Between sunset and dusk, we will light up the darkness along the sacred reflection pool and remember everything we missed.
As he spoke, the Washington National Cathedral bells began to ring and the Empire State Building in New York and the Space Needle in Seattle were lit. Cities from Miami to San Diego also planned to light buildings for the occasion, while Biden’s inaugural committee encouraged Americans to light candles in their windows in a show of national solidarity. Events were also planned for Mr. Biden’s hometowns, Wilmington and Scranton, Pa.
Biden is taking on the role of mourning chief and projecting an air of command over the issue that troubled the Trump administration last year. He declared that pandemic control is the central issue of his government and has been very critical of how his predecessor handled the worst public health crisis in more than 100 years.
On Monday night, while President Trump ordered an end to the ban on travelers from Europe and Brazil seeking to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the United States, Biden’s advisers said he would terminate the measure when he takes office Wednesday before the date set for entry into force.
Mr Trump’s order was issued at a time of great anxiety about the coronavirus and what Mr Biden warned will be a “dark winter”. The country experienced a post-holiday increase in cases that overwhelmed some hospitals and led to a record number of deaths. The implementation of national vaccination has been slow and chaotic. And a more contagious virus variant is spreading, while others are being discovered.
The bleak memory on Tuesday kicked off two days of face-to-face and virtual events in Washington, when Biden took the oath of office on Wednesday in a time of economic struggle and cultural turmoil after President Trump’s four tumultuous years at the House White.
Gloomy in his demeanor and brief in his comments, Mr. Biden was accompanied by his wife, Jill Biden, as well as elected vice president Kamala D. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff. Cardinal Wilton D. Gregory, archbishop of Washington, made the invocation while two acclaimed gospel singers, Yolanda Adams and Lori Marie Key, performed.