Mayor-Elect Eric Adams Cancels Plans For Jan. 1 Inaugural Ceremony Due To Omicron Concerns
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - Mayor-elect Eric Adams announced Tuesday he is canceling his planned inauguration ceremony at Kings Theater in Brooklyn.
Adams said it was being canceled due to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant.
"It is best for us to forgo an inauguration because we don't want to put people in a dangerous environment," he told reporters.
The theater can seat 3,000 people.
Watch: Eric Adams Announces Appointments, Cancels Inauguration Ceremony
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The ceremony had been set to take place during the evening of Jan. 1. It had been expected to include the ceremonial swearing in of Adams, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Comptroller-elect Brad Lander.
The three issued a joint statement:
Dear fellow New Yorkers, it is clear that our city is facing a formidable opponent in the Omicron variant of COVID-19, and that the spike in cases presents a serious risk to public health. After consulting with public health experts, we have decided that our joint inauguration ceremony will be postponed to a later date in order to prioritize the health of all who were planning to attend, cover, and work on this major event.
We thank the Kings Theatre for their interest in hosting this exciting moment in our city's history, and everyone who has been working hard to plan this celebration. We look forward to getting together in person with our loved ones, colleagues, and well-wishing New Yorkers to honor this great democratic tradition, and to thank all those who have made it possible, at a safer time in the weeks ahead.
Health and safety must come first. We encourage all New Yorkers to get vaccinated, get boosted, and get tested. That is our pathway out of this pandemic, and we will come out of it together.
Adams' term actually begins at 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1, and he will be formally sworn in at midnight in a private ceremony.
For more coverage of Omicron in New York City, click here.