Mayor-elect Eric Adams has postponed his Jan. 1 evening inauguration at Brooklyn’s historic Kings Theater due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the Omicron variant.

In a joint press release, Adams, city Comptroller-elect Brad Lander and re-elected Public Advocate Jumaane Williams revealed their joint inaugural will be held at “a later date.”

“After consulting with public health experts, we have decided that our joint inauguration ceremony will be postponed to a later date in order to prioritize the health of all who were planning to attend, cover, and work on this major event,” the trio said.“We look forward to getting together in person with our loved ones, colleagues, and well-wishing New Yorkers to honor this great democratic tradition, and to thank all those who have made it possible, at a safer time in the weeks ahead.

“Health and safety must come first,” they added. “We encourage all New Yorkers to get vaccinated, get boosted and get tested. That is our pathway out of this pandemic, and we will come out of it together.”

Earlier, Adams had joked at an unrelated press conference, “All I need is a mattress and a floor to execute being the mayor of the City of New York. I don’t need an inauguration, and I’m going to speak with Brad and Jumaane and tell them it is best for us to forgo an inauguration, because we don’t want to put people in a dangerous environment.”

The change of plans comes after Adams, the outgoing Brooklyn borough president, said last week he would meet with health officials to discuss and potentially revisit the safety of his indoor inaugural festivities.

The mayoral inauguration has historically been held outside at City Hall during the day, but Adams announced last week that it would take place in Brooklyn instead of at City Hall, as a tribute to the elections of the three citywide leaders who live in the borough. The ceremony was slated for the evening of Saturday, Jan. 1, to accommodate observation of the Jewish sabbath.

Additional reporting by Georgett Roberts