The nation will mark the inauguration of the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, two weeks after the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.

Some 25,000 armed National Guard members will be on high alert as Joe Biden takes the oath, becoming the oldest president in history at 78. Kamala Harris will make history as the first female, Black and South Asian vice president.

The National Mall, historically filled with onlookers, will be closed to the public and dotted with 200,000 flags to represent the crowd that might have assembled. A small area in front of the Capitol has been reserved for socially distanced guests in a nod to the coronavirus pandemic, which has taken more than 400,000 lives in the U.S.