New Year in New York City

New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City's main Times Square will be held under heightened health restrictions amid the spread of the Omicron coronavirus strain. A statement to that effect was published on Thursday on the website of Bill de Blasio, the mayor of America's largest metropolis.

Earlier it was reported that the only requirement for those wishing to attend the ceremony was to show a certificate of vaccination against the coronavirus. However, on Thursday, the mayor decided to scale back the celebrations and impose additional restrictive measures.

"In addition to the requirement to present a vaccination certificate and a valid identity card, visitors will be required to wear a protective mask. A smaller number of people will be allowed on each viewing platform to ensure that the social distance is maintained," the mayor's decree said. As noted in the document, the city authorities will continue consultations with health experts and do not rule out that the restrictive measures will be further tightened in the coming days.

In recent days, New York State has been setting daily anti-record for the number of people infected with the coronavirus. Among those sickened are people who have had two or even three vaccinations against the coronavirus. Against this backdrop, de Blasio is calling for health precautions and booster vaccinations but promises to take all possible measures to avoid introducing a new lockdown.