Biden arrives in DC with plans, problems
WASHINGTON— President-elect Joe Bid en made a sober entrance to the nation' s capital Tuesday, ready to assume power as America reels from the coronavirus pandemic, soaring unemployment and grave concerns about more violence as he prepares to take the oath of office.
Bid en, an avid fan of Amtrak, had planned to take a train into Washington ahead of Wednesday's Inauguration Day, but scratched that plan in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
He instead flew into a military airbase just outside the capital on Tuesday afternoon and then motorcaded into fortress D.C. — a city that's been flooded by some 25,000 National Guard troops guarding a Capitol, White House and National Mall t hat are wrapped in a maze of barricades and tall fencing.
Shortly before Bid en departed for Washington, the U.S. reached another grim milestone in the pandemic, surpassing 400,000 deaths from the virus, according to Johns Hopkins University.
“These are dark times ,” Biden told dozens of supporters in an emotional sendoff in Delaware before departing for Washington. “But there's always light.”
Biden, who ran for the presidency as a cool head who could get things done, plans to issue a series of executive orders on Day One — including reversing President Donald Trump's effort to leave the Paris climate accord, canceling his travel
The latest extension of the emergency public safety ordinance was to expire Friday. The next time the council would consider a further extension likely would beat the regular meeting March 2.
The 11 exceptions to the ordinance inc lu dew orship services where social distancing is observed and office workers who don't have face-to-face interactions with the public.
Masks aren' t required while eating or drinking at a bar or restaurant, or inside a public or private school building or facility, unless required by the school.
Individuals with a developmental disability and those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing are excused.
The ordinance applies to those age 11 and up.