Rap artist and actor LL Cool J was supposed to be among the performers taking the stage in Times Square on Friday night, but announced he would pull out of the event because he had tested positive for COVID-19.īut Mayor Bill de Blasio, who relinquished oversight of the nation's most populous city at the stroke of midnight, said the festivities at Times Square would “show the world that New York City is fighting our way through this. Organizers had initially hoped that more than 50,000 revelers would be able to join in, but plans were dramatically scaled back because of widespread infections. Officials required those attending the spectacle would have to wear masks and show proof of vaccination. New York City reported a record number of new, confirmed cases - nearly 44,000 - on Wednesday and a similar number Thursday, according to New York state figures. The Jenny From The Block hitmaker, who is due to appear on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin. have soared to their highest levels on record at over 265,000 per day on average. Jennifer Lopez took over New York’s Times Square station ahead of her New Year’s Eve performance. Confetti lit up by electronic billboards swirled in a light wind on a mild winter night in New York City.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.ĬOVID-19 cases in the U.S. Though the crowds were smaller, the throngs nevertheless stretched for blocks to soak in the celebration, with many traveling from afar to take part. Last year’s ball drop was closed to the public because of the pandemic.

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. The new year marched across the globe, time zone by time zone, and thousands of New Year's revelers stood shoulder to shoulder in a slight chill 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 revelers who usually descend on the world-famous square to bask in the lights and hoopla of the nation’s marquee New Year’s Eve event. Turn up the volume and join millions around the world for the final countdown Weather data is currently unavailable. Pick your front-row seat from several exciting vantage points. NEW YORK - New York City welcomed the new year - and bid good riddance to 2021 - as confetti and cheers spread across Times Square as a New Year's Eve tradition returned to a city beleaguered by a global pandemic. Travel to the heart of Times Square in New York City, where there may be fewer revelers than planned, but the party should still be on.

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