Coronavirus: New York’s Times Square to welcome New Year’s revellers again – if they’re vaccinated
- People who cannot be vaccinated because of a disability will have to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test
- The celebration, with its iconic ball drop, was a socially distanced affair last year, during the height of the pandemic
Crowds will once again fill New York’s Times Square this New Year’s Eve, with proof of Covid-19 vaccination required for revellers who want to watch the ball drop in person, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday.
“Yes, we are proud to announce that Times Square, wonderful celebration in Times Square, the ball drop, everything, coming back full strength the way we love it,” de Blasio said at a virtual news briefing.
“Hundreds of thousands of people there to celebrate. We can finally get back together again. It’s going to be amazing.”
Tom Harris, the president of the Times Square Alliance, said all spectators aged five and over will be asked to show proof of full vaccination. People who cannot be vaccinated because of a disability will have to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test, he said.
The New Year’s Eve celebration, perhaps the city’s most iconic public gathering, was a socially distant affair during the height of the pandemic last year.