In light of the surge in Covid-19 cases, here’s how to participate in the festivities — and how not to.
Good morning. It’s Friday, and it’s the last day of 2021. Congratulations on making it through another rough year. Today, we’ll look at how to celebrate New Year’s Eve during the latest pandemic surge. We’ll also look at how Mayor-elect Eric Adams has answered a top question for many businesses by announcing that he will keep a vaccine mandate for private-sector employers in place. Happy New Year, and stay safe. Bolstered by high vaccination rates and undeterred by a spike in Covid-19 cases, New York City is pushing ahead with a scaled-back New Year’s Eve celebration tonight in Times Square. Some public health experts and city officials have questioned the wisdom of having any celebration there when the pandemic is surging once again. San Francisco canceled an outdoor fireworks show. London’s mayor canceled plans for an event in Trafalgar Square. “Given the increase in Covid cases due to Omicron, I would not go to Times Square to watch the ball drop,” Dr. Danielle Ompad, at New York University epidemiologist, told my colleague Ashley Wong. But for Mayor Bill de Blasio, the celebration, because of requirements that attendees be vaccinated and masked, is safe enough. It is a symbol, he said, of how the city is moving forward. “It’s really important to not give up in the face of this,” he said in an interview with NBC on Thursday. The debate over the Times Square celebration reflects the internal anxiety many New Yorkers are feeling on the eve of 2022 as they weigh whether to celebrate, and assess how much risk they can or should take on. This year’s Times Square ball drop, a free event, has been scaled back from earlier years after being closed to the public entirely last year. All attendees over the age of 5 must show proof of full vaccination to enter; anyone under 5 must be accompanied by a fully vaccinated adult. The crowd will be spaced out and limited to 15,000 people, far fewer than the hundreds of thousands that gathered before the pandemic. Everyone must wear a mask. The celebrations will kick off at 6 p.m., although visitors won’t be allowed into the viewing areas until 3 p.m. KT Tunstall, Karol G and Journey are among the musical acts scheduled to perform. Shortly after the ball drops at midnight, Eric Adams will be sworn in as the city’s 110th mayor. Ideally, attendees should not only be vaccinated, but also have received booster shots. Find a place to get vaccinated here. Some tips should be obvious by now: People should wear a face mask covering the nose and mouth, and wash their hands frequently.
