![]() ![]() have soared to their highest levels on record at over 265,000 per day on average. Last year's ball drop was closed to the public because of the pandemic.ĬOVID-19 cases in the U.S. Still, the city said it would limit the number of people it let into Times Square to witness a 6-ton ball, encrusted with nearly 2,700 Waterford crystals, descend above a crowd of about 15,000 in-person spectators - far fewer than the many tens of thousands of revellers who usually descend on the world-famous square to bask in the lights, hoopla and shower of confetti during the nation's marquee New Year's Eve event.īut 2022 begins just as the year prior began - with the pandemic clouding an already uncertain future.ĭoubts swirled about whether the city would have to cancel this year's bash, as the city posted record numbers of COVID-19 cases in the days leading to it, even as some cities like Atlanta had decided to cancel their own celebrations. Times Square is often referred to as the crossroads of the world, and city officials insisted on holding the marquee New Year's Eve event to demonstrate the city's resiliency even amid a resurgence of the coronavirus. The annual ball drop takes place as the clock ticks into midnight and ushers in the new year, an occasion usually commemorated with Champagne, clinking pints, joyous embraces and hopes for better times ahead. "We hope that 2022 is much better than this year." "I'm happy that 2021 is over because it caused a lot of problems for everybody," said Gonzalez, who was visiting from Mexico City and wanted to take in an American tradition. ![]() ![]() Mary Gonzalez stood a few feet behind a crowd, wanting to keep her distance from anyone unwittingly carrying the virus. Confetti lit up by electronic billboards swirled in a light wind on a mild winter night in New York City. In Times Square, throngs stretched for blocks to soak in the scaled-back celebration, with many traveling from afar to take part. The year marched across the globe, time zone by time zone, and thousands of New Year's revellers stood shoulder to shoulder in a slight chill to await the festivities. It did so as an uneasy nation tried to muster optimism that the worst days of the pandemic are now behind it - even as public health officials cautioned Friday against unbridled celebrations amid surging COVID-19 infections from the omicron variant. New York City readied to embrace the new year - and bid good riddance to another pandemic-marred 12 months - as it revived its annual New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, after forgoing a public event last year. ![]()
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