The UK, France, Germany, Ireland, India and Australia are among the many countries where the New Year celebrations will be a hushed affair this year.
Millions of people are trapped and many more face severe restrictions on everyday activities as governments fight to maintain healthcare until newly approved vaccines can be rolled out.
In Australia, traditional fireworks lit up the sky over the Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge.
But the showing was shorter than normal, and people were not allowed to gather along the harbor unless they were in catering establishments, where numbers were limited, the New South Wales government said.
New South Wales Prime Minister Gladys Berejiklian apologized Monday for the restrictions, but said they were necessary to prevent a possible super-scatter event. “On New Year’s Eve, we don’t want any crowds on the foreshore around Sydney at all,” said Berejiklian.
A mass rally on Bronte Beach in Sydney on Christmas Day, in violation of local anti-Covid-19 rules, caused public outrage at a time when authorities are addressing a cluster of infections in the city’s northern beaches.
Meanwhile, neighboring state of Victoria issued new coronavirus restrictions hours before the New Year’s celebration was due to begin. Gatherings of more than 15 people are no longer allowed and masks are required indoors.
The move came when Victoria reported three new locally transmitted Covid-19 cases on Thursday morning, breaking a 61-day streak of zero locally transmitted cases. According to the Victoria’s Department of Health, there are currently 10 active cases in the state.
New Zealand’s widely envied success in eradicating coronavirus infections meant that New Year’s Eve could be celebrated more or less as usual. Fireworks lit up the night sky over Auckland as the city welcomed in the New Year.
Several major cities in India have imposed restrictions on New Year celebrations. The Delhi authorities limited public gatherings to five people and set a night clock between 11 p.m. on December 31 and 6 a.m. on New Year’s Day.
Restrictions have also been imposed in Mumbai and Bengaluru. “After 11pm there are no more parties – whether in restaurants, bars, pubs, on the beach or on the rooftops … And we will be monitoring all this by drones,” says S., told local media .
The number of coronavirus infections has decreased steadily in India since October. The country has registered a total of 10.26 million cases, with more than 148,000 deaths.
‘Leave the parties until later’
In Europe, where the number of cases has risen sharply in recent months, customary end-of-year celebrations have been severely restricted in many countries.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson called on people to “see the New Year safely at home” at a press conference in Downing Street Wednesday, saying that the number of cases in England has risen 40% in the past week.
The UK recorded 981 deaths from the coronavirus – the highest rate since April – and 50,023 new cases on Wednesday, government figures show, as the country grapples with the rapid spread of a new, more contagious variant of coronavirus.
“Covid likes a crowd, so please leave the parties until later,” said Stephen Powis, NHS England’s National Medical Director, also urging people to stay home on New Year’s Eve.
As of Thursday, more than three-quarters of the UK population now lives under the toughest “tier 4” restrictions in the country, which require people to stay at home except for work, education, exercise or essential activities. Household mixing is not allowed inside, while outside one person from each household can only meet one person from another household.
London’s Metropolitan Police Service warned would-be partygoers to “celebrate the New Year in the comfort of their own home, not with family and friends.”
Ireland situation ‘extremely serious’
Irish Prime Minister, or Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, announced a full national shutdown for “at least” a month on Wednesday. The move followed confirmation that the new, more virulent strain of coronavirus first discovered in the UK was now in Ireland, he said, leading to a 61% increase in confirmed coronavirus cases in the previous week. .
The restrictions, which take effect Thursday, include a home call ban and the closure of non-essential stores. Schools will remain closed until January 11th. Social gatherings or family gatherings are not allowed in any setting, with the exception of very small wedding and funeral groups.
Martin described the situation as “extremely serious”.
France has a strict curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. to combat rising coronavirus infections, curtailing public New Year’s Eve celebrations across the country.
Health Minister Olivier Véran warned Tuesday that from January 2, the country could impose an earlier curfew – starting at 6 p.m. – in the areas where the virus is spreading the fastest. The 20 or more affected “departments” do not include Paris.
As per government guidelines, meetings are limited to six adults, although any number of children can attend. Restaurants are closed except for take out and cafes are closed although shops, including non-essentials, are open. Cinemas, museums and theaters are all closed.
There are also strict restrictions throughout Germany to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
Fear of ‘super spreaders’ events
South Africa also has a less than festive New Year period. President Cyril Ramaphosa announced tighter restrictions on Monday as new coronavirus infections contracted at what he described as an “unprecedented rate.”
Under stricter regulations, in effect until mid-January, all indoor and outdoor gatherings are banned, national curfews have been extended from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM, and alcohol sales are prohibited. Wearing a mask was also required by law.
The move came after a new Covid-19 variant was detected in South Africa and the number of cases soared during the holiday season. More than 50,000 new cases have been reported since Christmas Eve, Ramaphosa said.
“The rapid rise in infections is fueled by so-called super-spreading events, including New Year’s Eve celebrations, family and social gatherings, and music and cultural events,” Ramaphosa said.
Some leaders have also urged caution in the United States as coronavirus cases are on the rise in many parts of the country.
This year, no crowds will take to New York City’s Times Square for the famous “ball drop” celebration, which usually attracts thousands of revelers.
The New Year’s Eve Times Square event “will look completely different than ever before,” New York Police Chief Terence A. Monahan said Wednesday.
“We all agreed that 2020 has been a year unlike anything else we’ve been through,” he told a briefing, urging people to stay home with their families. “Don’t come,” he said. “If you think you can stand there and watch the ball, you’re mistaken.”
Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak urged people on Wednesday to “rethink” to celebrate New Years Eve in order to slow the spread of Covid-19 in the state.
“It has not been lost to me that Las Vegas is known as one of the best places in the world to ring in the new year. But this year we have to look different,” Sisolak said at a press conference.
“I know people want to celebrate the end of 2020, and I don’t blame them. But if we don’t make smart choices in early 2021, we will look and feel a lot more like 2020 than any of us. want it to be so. “
CNN’s Sarah Dean, Swati Gupta, Gisela Crespo, Pauline Lockwood and Ben Westcott contributed to this report.