WASHINGTON, Dec. 16 (Xinhua) -- A U.S. congressional committee said on Wednesday that it would significantly limit the number of guests allowed to attend President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration ceremony set on Jan. 20 at the U.S. Capitol, citing the pandemic concerns.
According to the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), invitations would be limited to each member of Congress and one guest, meaning that 1,070 invitations will be given to members of Congress.
"The JCCIC, in consultation with diversified public health and medical experts and the Presidential Inaugural Committee, has determined that this global pandemic and the rise in COVID-19 cases warranted a difficult decision to limit attendance at the 59th Inaugural Ceremonies to a live audience that resembles a State of the Union," Senator Roy Blunt, the committee's chair, said in a statement.
In the past, the panel would have distributed 200,000 tickets for the ceremony and given Congress lawmakers ticket bundles for constituents, said a The Hill news report.
On Tuesday, the Presidential Inaugural Committee, which is planning the inauguration alongside the JCCIC, urged Americans to watch the inaugural activities from their homes instead of traveling to the event.