WEB DESK
The surge in Covid case with new variant of Omicron restricted the New Year celebrations in many countries around the world. People welcoming the new year with caution and observing low-key festivity.
There will be no traditional displays above most of the world’s landmarks, with fireworks cancelled over Paris’s Arc de Triomphe, London’s Big Ben and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.
Germany has imposed strict contact restrictions to curb the spread of Covid and prohibiting New Year’s Eve gatherings.
In Italy, Rome is among several cities that have decided to cancel festivities over Covid health concerns. In China many events have been canceled in multiple cities.
In the U.S, medical professionals are warning would-be revelers that as omicron surges, now is not the time to be in big crowds.
Dr. Jonathan Reiner, George Washington University professor of medicine and surgery told CNN, “I think that right now we’re in the public health crisis of our lifetimes.”
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, has urged people to avoid crowded situations this New Year’s and opt instead to attend small gatherings of vaccinated family and friends.
A notable exception is Australia, which welcomed 2022 with, traditional spectacular fireworks over Sydney Harbor. Its Trans-Tasman neighbour New Zealand also celebrated New year with a light show, illuminating the Sky Tower and Harbour Bridge in Auckland.
In Russia, fireworks exploded over the St. Basil’s Cathedral and the Kremlin in Moscow. In Sri Lanka, midnight fireworks were seen over the skyline in Colombo.
Meanwhile, South Africa, the country where Omicron was first detected, has ended a nightly curfew.
A statement from a special cabinet meeting Thursday said indicators in South Africa suggest “the country may have passed the peak of the fourth wave at a national level.”
The statement also said, “While the omicron variant is highly transmissible, there has been lower rates of hospitalization than in previous waves.”