New York is one of the latest cities to announce that its New Year’s Eve celebrations will be scaled back, as countries across the globe struggle to contain the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant.
The city’s traditional festivities at Times Square will proceed, but with significantly reduced crowds. Viewing areas that normally accommodate about 58,000 people will be limited to about 15,000 to allow for social distancing. Everyone in attendance must show proof of vaccination and wear a mask, announced Mayor Bill de Blasio. In addition, revellers won't be allowed into viewing areas until 3pm, much later than in past years.
“There is a lot to celebrate and these additional safety measures will keep the fully vaccinated crowd safe and healthy as we ring in the New Year," de Blasio said.
New York is the latest in a string of cities around the world that have decided to cancel or minimise New Year’s Eve festivities in the interests of public safety.
Berlin
Germany will introduce a number of new restrictions on Tuesday. As a result, nightclubs will be closed and large-scale events, such as football matches, will be cancelled. Private gatherings will be limited to a maximum of 10 people and the sale of fireworks has been banned nationwide.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz said restrictions on New Year's celebrations are necessary to keep Germany's health system from being overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases. “This is no longer the time for parties and social evenings in big groups,” he said.
London
New Year’s Eve celebrations in London’s Trafalgar Square have been called off following a surge in Omicron cases in the UK capital. The event was set to be open to about 6,500 key workers and members of the public.
Revellers are instead being invited to watch a live TV broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, which organisers say will celebrate the city and highlight the most defining moments of the past year.
“We will no longer be hosting a celebration event for 6,500 people on Trafalgar Square this New Year’s Eve,” announced Mayor Sadiq Khan. “This will be very disappointing for many Londoners, but we must take the right steps to reduce the spread of the virus. I’m proud that we will still have an incredible broadcast spectacular to watch on our screens, which will showcase our great city to the rest of the world.”
Paris
Paris was among the first major cities to cancel its traditional fireworks display over the Champs-Elysees. French Prime Minister Jean Castex announced that all major public parties and fireworks would be banned on New Year's Eve. He also recommended that even vaccinated people take a self-test before getting together for year-end parties.
Athens
New Year’s Eve events and concerts have been cancelled in the Greek capital, including fireworks at the Acropolis. Greece has also reintroduced mandatory mask wearing in indoor and outdoor spaces.
In addition, all travellers arriving in Greece are strongly advised to take Covid-19 tests on the second and fourth days after their arrival, on top of the existing requirement to provide a negative PCR test to enter Greece.
The show must go on…
Rio de Janeiro had announced that it was cancelling its New Year’s celebration earlier this month, but has since reverted to original plans.
"We want to celebrate the end of the year in a calm, safe and organised manner. We met with the Scientific Committee, which confirmed that it would be safe to hold the city's New Year's celebrations under the provisions presented by the city government," Mayor Eduardo Paes said.
Las Vegas will also be proceeding with its fireworks displays, which will be launched from the top of eight casinos on the Strip. And Sydney’s famous display at the Opera House will go ahead, although attendants will need to buy tickets to attend this year.
