Health
New Year’s Eve on Times Square is Back [Video]
- The grand New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York City are back, said Mayor Bill de Blasio on Tuesday.
- The mayor said that the big celebrations are a testament to their recovery, so it still has to prioritize safety.
- Everyone attending must be vaccinated or show proof of a recent negative test.
Everyone can look forward again to the New Year’s Eve celebrations in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Tuesday.
The public was not able to participate in the past two years’ festivities. Because of the pandemic, last year’s celebration was only open to a few frontliners.
This December, Times Square will be reopened to the public for the 2022 New Year’s Eve celebration, the mayor announced during Tuesday’s press conference with the Times Square Alliance.
De Blasio stated that bringing back the city’s traditions marks their recovery, so they want the upcoming celebrations to be big and full of life.
“Guess what everyone? A big, strong, full-strength celebration: it’s coming back. Hundreds of thousands of people there to celebrate. We can finally get back together again,” the mayor continued. “It’s going to be amazing, it’s going to be a joy for this city.”
He then made sure to remind everyone that the celebrations must still be done “the right way” — safely.
This means that several COVID precautions will still be in place, such as mandatory vaccinations for all guests aged 5 and up.
“We want to welcome all those hundreds of thousands of folks, but everyone needs to be vaccinated,” de Blasio declared. “All you need to do is have that proof of vaccination and a valid photo ID and you are in.”
“Join the proud, join the joy, join a historic moment as New York City provides further evidence to the world that we are 100% back,” he concluded.
Those who cannot get vaccinated due to a disability or medical reason will have to show proof of a negative PCR test within 72 hours and wear a mask. Kids under 5 should be accompanied by a vaccinated adult and also wear a mask if possible.
Times Square Alliance President Tom Harris said, “Our success is largely due to people being vaccinated… Our goal is to have a safe event for our cast, our crew, and for the crowds.”
Times Square’s New Year’s Eve tradition dates back to 1904 when the owners of One Times Square started holding rooftop celebrations to ring in the New Year. Three years later in 1907 saw the first Ball Lowering celebration.
Millions have since flocked to Times Square each year to be part of the celebrations.
Officials say that they will update their website later in December to show the complete schedule of the events and performances for the 2022 celebration. The celebrations will also be shown on television and streamed online.
Click here to find out more about the 2022 New Year’s Eve celebration.
Source: PEOPLE
