by Dan Fastenberg and Jonathan Allen
NEW YORK, Jan.1 (Reuters) – Only a handful of guests, including health workers and other frontline workers in the face of the coronavirus outbreak, were allowed to meet in Times Square on Thursday evening , in New York, to witness the traditional descent of the New Year’s ball.
For decades, New Year’s Eve was the occasion for tens of thousands of revelers to congregate in Manhattan, typically waiting for hours and in freezing cold to watch the luminous ball descend from a skyscraper. – sky for the countdown.
But this year, Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York City police asked residents of the eastern US megalopolis and potential visitors from elsewhere not to go downtown and to stay away from the city. ” watch the festivities on television, which have been reduced due to the health crisis.
A major police device was to close access to the area around Times Square in order to avoid unauthorized gatherings, as authorities fear the event will lead to an acceleration in new coronavirus infections.
Elsewhere in the United States, New Year’s celebrations were also organized in a reduced format or even virtually.
“This will undoubtedly be the most special, the most poignant, the most moving New Year’s Eve,” Bill de Blasio told reporters. “In 2021, we will show people what it is to recover,” added the mayor.
Some did not hear the message or chose to ignore it, still going to Times Square in the hope of being able to see the luminous ball before the hour.
“I wanted to come here because it’s my tradition,” said Matt Wozniak, 41, who came to Times Square Thursday morning. “I’ve been coming for years, sometimes in the heart of a huge crowd. It’s different, the feeling is different,” added this New Yorker owner of a construction company.
(French version Jean Terzian)
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