New Year’s Eve celebrations in most countries were largely muted or cancelled for the second consecutive year due to a surge in COVID-19 infections driven by the Omicron variant.
London: Nations across the globe are welcoming 2022 amid another wave of coronavirus pandemic. New Year’s Eve celebrations in most countries were largely muted or cancelled for the second consecutive year due to a surge in COVID-19 infections driven by the Omicron variant, which is rallying infections and raising hospitalizations across nations. However, many nations made the most of it and welcomed the New Year with extravagant fireworks displays
United Arab Emirates
A large number of people gathered at Dubai’s Burj Khalifa and witnessed the impressive fireworks display, welcoming the new year 2022. A special laser show took place at the Burj Khalifa, which is said to be the world’s tallest building. The crowd witnessed the special laser show performed at the Burj Khalifa. The world’s tallest skyscraper was dazzled in the night sky, beaming “Happy New Year”, reported Al Jazeera.
France
France ended 2021 with a over 2 lakh COVID cases recorded on the last day of the year. But, the country ushered in 2022 with a light display on the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Welcoming the new year, French President Emmanuel Macron said that the next few weeks would be difficult as the country headed into subdued New Year celebrations after registering 2,32,200 new COVID-19 cases over the last 24 hours, its highest-ever recorded total, reported France 24.
“The weeks to come will be difficult, we all know that,” Macron said in a broadcasted New Year’s Eve address.
From midnight, France will take over the Presidency of the European Union. You can count on my total commitment to making this moment a time of progress. 2022 must be the year of a European turning point, Macron said in a tweet.
United Kingdom
Fireworks and lights displays lit up the night sky in London on Saturday as people welcomed Year 2022 against the backdrop of calls for caution and the cancellation of large celebrations, reported Al Jazeera.
City squares were barricaded and many New Year events cancelled in the UK in a bid to prevent large crowds gatherings as daily COVID cases reached a record high on Friday. But some people were determined to venture out and celebrate after nearly two years of lockdowns.
Stressing that the UK’s condition is incomparably better than last year, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that 2022 is almost upon us. “Whatever the challenges that lie ahead in the coming weeks and months, our position today is incomparably better than last year,” he said in a tweet on Friday.
Urging people to get vaccinated, Johnson said that make it your New Year’s resolution to get your jabs and do something that will make 2022 a happy New Year for us all. His remarks came as the UK is battling a massive surge in infections and a jump in hospitalizations.
China
People in China welcomed the new year under restrictions in certain places and cities. The Xi’an city’s people were placed under lockdown by the Chinese authorities due to the rise in COVID-19 infections.
The new year celebrations at the various places were cancelled due to the COVID related restrictions.
In Beijing, happy Valley amusement park cancelled the event which was scheduled to mark the beginning of the new year. Similarly, in the eastern city of Nanjing, a drone show and fireworks were dropped.
However, people in the country witnessed the address of the Chinese President Xi Jinping who called 2021 a year of exceptional significance. But, during the whole year, the West continuously accused the Chinese Communist Party of extreme human rights abuses in the Xinjiang provinces.
Germany
A lights display was held at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate as the German capital celebrated the start of 2022, reported Al Jazeera. However, other major New Year’s Eve celebrations were cancelled once again in the country and firework sale was also banned there.
USA
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. Limited revelers return to Times Square to usher in 2022.
They 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, reported Associated Press.
