(VOVWORLD) -COVID-19 will stifle New Year celebrations around the world for the second year running on Friday, with governments in many countries hurriedly scaling back festivities in an effort to contain rampant contagion.
 People queue at a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) testing clinic as the Omicron variant of the coronavirus continues to spread in Sydney, Australia, December 30, 2021. (Photo: REUTERS) |
Global coronavirus infections hit a record high over the past seven-day period, with almost one million cases detected on average each day worldwide.
In Europe, traditional concerts and firework displays that typically draw thousands of people on to the streets were cancelled in most major cities, including London, Paris, Zurich, Brussels, Warsaw and Rome.
Earlier this week, the World Health Organization urged people to rethink their party plans.
New York said it would hold its Times Square party, albeit in a scaled-back version, with far fewer people allowed to watch as the iconic, giant ball drops down a pole to mark the arrival of 2022.
In Italy, restaurant and club owners called for urgent government support, saying 25%-30% of New Year's Eve dinner bookings had been pulled.