CLEVELAND, Ohio – Cleveland Mayor-elect Justin Bibb’s public swearing-in ceremony will be conducted virtually due to COVID-19 concerns, Bibb’s transition team announced.
The Saturday, Jan. 8, ceremony had been slated as an in-person event at Public Auditorium, which would’ve required RSVPs, masks, and proof of vaccination from attendees. But a surging local caseload exacerbated by the omicron variant prompted Bibb to change up the plans.
The event is still likely to take place on the afternoon of Jan. 8 at Public Auditorium, but members of the public who want to attend will instead need to watch via a live stream on Bibb’s Facebook page, according to Ryan Puente, a member of the transition team, and Bibb’s soon-to-be chief government affairs officer.
The Jan. 8 event will be the public’s opportunity to join the fanfare of Cleveland welcoming its first new mayor in 16 years. But the official swearing-in ceremony is set to be a private event just after midnight on Jan. 3, when Bibb will formally take office and replace outgoing Mayor Frank Jackson.
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