Journalists gear up for Biden's inauguration 0:42
(CNN) -
On a typical inauguration day, hundreds of thousands of Americans flock to Washington to catch a glimpse of the new president.
Not this year.
Government leaders and health officials are telling people to stay away.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser urged people not to travel to the US capital for the inauguration.
"Our goals at this time are to encourage Americans to participate virtually and to protect Washington from a repeat of the violent insurrection experienced on the Capitol and its grounds on January 6," Bowser said.
Even before the Jan.6 attack on the Capitol, the surge in Ccvid-19 numbers had already forced President-elect Joe Biden's inaugural committee to move on to a virtual ceremony.
More than 399,000 deaths have already been reported in the U.S. from the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, according to the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of The US predicts that an additional 90,000 Americans could die in the next three weeks.
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The opening ceremony will be broadcast on all major news channels, including CNN, so everyone can safely watch the festivities from home.
Performances by Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez will headline the inauguration ceremony.
Gaga will sing the national anthem.
In addition to the broadcast, you can join virtual events organized by people from all over the country to celebrate the historic day.
Presidential soul
Foodies can dine on presidential-inspired fare and listen to black leaders at the “Presidential Soul: A Virtual Presidential Inauguration Event”.
(Presidential Soul: A Virtual Inauguration Event).
Chefs from across the country came together to create menus inspired by President-Elect Joe Biden and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris.
Participants will receive recipes to create the dishes themselves, including salmon with tequila-agave and apple pie.
Throughout the event, there will be fine art performances and interviews with black people who are pioneers in their industry.
One of the guests will be U.S. Air Force Senior First Sgt. (Retired) Wanda Joell, who was the first black woman to be selected to serve on Air Force One.
A portion of the proceeds will go to charity.
Tickets for the event can be found here.
The party of the Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee offers an online service for people to host and host their own virtual housewarming parties.
People can fill out the form here with their online video chat link, like a Zoom link, and then send the invitation to friends and family.
The video call link can be used to screen share the opening ceremony broadcast, which will be available on this website.
If viewers prefer to watch the opening on a television, they can use your video calling services to interact with others.
Women and the Vice Presidency
History will be made on January 20 when Kamala Harris is sworn in as the first female vice president.
The DiMenna Museum of Children's History in New York City is hosting an online event for children of all ages to learn about what led America to this historic moment.
The virtual event, titled "Living History at Home: An American First: Women and the Vice Presidency," traces the history of women running for the second-highest office in the country.
It begins in 1984 with Geraldine Ferraro, who was the first woman to run for vice president with a major American political party.
After the learning portion of the event, children can participate in a question and answer game.
You can register for the free event here.
Biden takeover special
To cap off the day, Tom Hanks will host a primetime inauguration special called "Celebrating America."
Biden and Harris are ready to give comments during the 90-minute television special.
It will also honor the healthcare workers, teachers, and other Americans who have worked tirelessly through the pandemic.
Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato and other celebrities will perform at this event.
The show will air on CNN and other major news networks at 8:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, January 20.
Virtual takeover