China curbs New Year’s Eve celebrations to reduce Covid-19 infection risks
- Several cities cancel large gatherings and encourage people to avoid crowds
- The country is also planning precautions for the traditional mass migration around the Lunar New Year
Happy Valley Beijing, an amusement park, announced on Weibo on Thursday that its new year party at midnight would be cancelled and the park would be closed.
In the eastern city of Nanjing, the Xinjiekou commercial centre cancelled its outdoor countdown and light show, and multiple temples announced they were not opening at night, encouraging people to stay safe and avoid large gatherings.
In Wuhan, the local centre for disease prevention and control said that no large-scale public events would be held in popular commercial areas.
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Some people expressed disappointment at the cancellations. One asked on Weibo how else they could see in the new year.
“I’ve been thinking about activities for a month,” they said. “I wanted to go to Happy Valley, but now the fireworks are cancelled. I have no idea what to do right now.”