New York City got ready to welcome the new year – and say goodbye to another 12 months marked by the pandemic – as it prepared to recapture its New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square.
And all this at a time when the country tries to be optimistic that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, despite the fact that health authorities warned on Friday against the unbridled celebrations in the middle of the rebound in COVID infections -19 caused by the omicron variant.
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The city said it would limit the number of people who would enter Times Square to witness the descent of a 6-ton ball, with about 2,700 encrusted Waterford crystals, live to about 15,000 spectators, far fewer than the tens of thousands of revelers. who used to congregate in the iconic square to enjoy the lights, the party and the confetti shower at the most popular New Year’s Eve event in the country.
“We are excited to welcome visitors back to Times Square this New Year’s Eve,” said Tom Harris, President of the Times Square Alliance. “Our goal is to have a safe and responsible event for the world to see.”
The ball’s descent will take place on Friday, when the clock strikes midnight and the turn of the year, an occasion that used to be celebrated with champagne, beer toasts, joyful hugs and hopes for better times to come.
But 2022 begins just like its predecessor: with the pandemic clouding an already uncertain future.
Doubts about the cancellation hovered over the party this year after the city registered record numbers of infections in recent days and others, such as Atlanta, decided to cancel their celebrations.
Last year, the ball drop was closed to the public due to the pandemic. On this occasion, there was an early audience in Times Square and our reporter Joaquín Torres spoke with some attendees.
In the United States, coronavirus cases have risen to record levels with an average of more than 265,000 infections per day. New York City posted its worst record – more than 39,590 new reported cases – on Tuesday, according to state data.
But Mayor Bill de Blasio, who will cease to lead the nation’s most populous city at midnight, said the festivities in Times Square “will show the world that New York City is struggling to get ahead.”
Authorities said those who attend the show must wear a mask and show proof of vaccination. At first, the organizers hoped to gather more than 50,000 people, but their plans were cut drastically due to infections.
Rapper and actor LL Cool J was going to star in one of the performances of the show, but announced his absence after testing positive for COVID-19.
The city’s new mayor, Eric Adams, who will be sworn in in Times Square shortly after the turn of the year, on Thursday expressed hope that 2022 will be “a new start to our resilience.”
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