Eric Adams was sworn into office just minutes after the crystal ball dropped at midnight in Times Square on January 1. In his first speech as New York City’s second Black mayor, the former police captain acknowledged the city’s fight against the rapidly spreading COVID-19. “We will not be controlled by crises,” the 61-year-old said. 

Adams became the city’s 110th mayor to helm a city of 8.8 million people who had been led for the past eight years by fellow Democrat Bill de Blasio.

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He faces the immense challenge of pulling the city out of the pandemic, taking office as the city is grappling with record numbers of COVID-19 cases driven by the omicron variant.

In his inaugural speech on Saturday, Adams affirmed the city and country’s resiliency.

“This pandemic has not only impacted us physically, but emotionally, and I’m going to really encourage people in this city to just find that inner peace, no matter what we’re going through. We have been through tragedies before. This is a resilient city and a resilient country and I want to bring that energy,” Adams said after being sworn in.

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He also asked the people of the most populous US city to take up a New Year’s resolution. 

 “Noting that the past two years have been continual crises. This will be our New Year’s resolution: We will not be controlled by crises.”

He quoted former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, saying “New York in adversity towers above any other city in the world.”

“We are a city of about 9 millions reams and we are about to wake up. I cannot wait to greet this new day with you,” Adams said.

He held his first cabinet meeting Saturday morning. Adams said this week that he plans to keep in place many of the policies of outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio, including vaccine mandates that are among the strictest in the nation.

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The city’s municipal workforce is required to be vaccinated, as is anyone trying to dine indoors, see a show, workout at a gym or attend a conference. But New York City has also newly required employees in the private sector to get their shots, the most sweeping mandate of any state or big city and a policy Adams said he will preserve.

He’s also committed to keeping schools open and avoiding any further shutdowns in the city of 8.8 million.