Festivities to balance safety with pageantry

President-elect Joe Biden will receive a shortened military escort to the White House instead of the traditional inaugural parade that stretches from the U.S. Capitol after his swearing-in on Jan. 20, his inaugural committee said Sunday.

The inaugural festivities will also include a formal review of troops and a made-for-television “Virtual Parade Across America” featuring musical acts, marching bands, poetry, dance troupes and essential workers.

The scaled-down inaugural plans represent another concession to the coronavirus pandemic as Biden’s inaugural planners balance health and safety concerns with the pageantry of the constitutional ceremony.