By Nikhila Natarajan

New York, Jan 20 (IANS): The inauguration ceremony that will transfer power to US President-elect Joe Biden is unfolding at the US Capitol, as gentle flurries of snow dust parts of the country's north east.

Biden will swear the oath of office at noon to become the 46th President of the United States. At his side will be Kamala Harris, who has made history as the country's first woman and first Indian and Black American to be Vice President.

Breaking with tradition, Donald Trump left Washington Wednesday morning on a Marine One chopper at 8:17 am as Biden headed to church before his swearing in.

Former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton are attending the inauguration.

Joe Biden has a huge list of to-dos for Day One of his presidency, starting with a rash of executive orders. Covid will overshadow everything else for the first 100 days but subsumed within will be efforts to push forward quick fixes on immigration, healthcare and a battered economy.

The coronavirus, which arrived in America exactly a year ago to the day, has killed more than 400,000 Americans and infected more than 24 million. Biden has promised to "manage the hell out of this operation" referring to lifting America out of the funk it is in.