This post was curated from Black News Channel (bnc.tv)

New York City’s next mayor, Eric Adams, will be sworn into office at the Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration right after the ball drops, despite the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in the city.

Adams announced earlier this month he was indefinitely postponing his inauguration because of COVIS-19, according to NBC New York.

“Times Square has long been synonymous with the New Year — a place of excitement, renewal, and hope for the future. These are the same themes that animated my campaign and will inform my mayoralty, as I prepare to lead the city out of this challenging period,” Mayor-elect Adams said in a statement to NBC. “I am deeply humbled to officially take the oath of office at this iconic occasion, and to participate in the transfer of leadership that is a cornerstone of our democracy.”

While the Times Square New Year’s Eve party will be significantly scaled back this year, around 15,000 fully vaccinated New Yorkers will still be in attendance.

Adams will be New York City’s second Black mayor when he takes office. He will undoubtedly have a lot of work ahead of him, as the city battles with rising COVID-19 numbers, as well as a path of economic recovery.

New York City was practically shut down at the onset of the pandemic as COVID-19 hit the city hard. Many businesses closed and never reopened.

While the omicron variant is spreading rapidly throughout not only the city but the country, hospitalizations have been down in New York City, largely in part because many people are vaccinated against the virus.

Adams isn’t the first mayor-elect to be sworn in at the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square. In 2002, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg took his oath of office minutes after the ball dropped.

(SOURCE) https://bnc.tv/eric-adams-to-swear-in-as-nyc-mayor-at-times-square-nyes-celebration/