The new year numerals to be used at a new year countdown event in Times Square in New York are posed for photos by Teresa Hui.
The Times Square New Year's Eve celebration will be scaled back, and attendees will have to wear masks, according to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
There will be less people in viewing areas. The mayor's office said there are usually 58,000 people allowed in viewing areas. There will be about 15,000 people allowed this year.
Visitors will not be allowed in until 3 pm, which is later than in the past.
Almost all attendees over the age of 5 were already required to have a vaccine.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a statement that the additional safety measures would keep the fully vaccined crowd safe.
New York City has seen a rise in Covid cases and positive rates attributed to the omicron variant. Omicron is less transmissible than other versions.
The city reported a 15% Covid test positivity rate, a five-percentage point increase from just four days before. The World Health Organization says that omicron cases double every 1.5 to three days in places with high rates of community transmission.
Boosters are particularly effective against omicron and we know that vaccination is the key. The mayor told reporters at the press conference that health care leaders have been clear about that.
The Times Square Alliance, the group in charge of organizing the New Year's Eve ball drop and celebration, previously said it would require proof of full vaccination for almost all attendees over the age of 5. The group hosted a scaled-down ball drop at the end of 2020 with social distance and masking for a smaller audience than normal.
At his news conference Wednesday, de Blasio told reporters that he expects omicron to peak in the city soon, but people will have to take extra precautions to keep themselves safe.
We focus on the Covid crisis every day, and I am very confident that the city will overcome it. It looks like it will be a very brief period, but we have a lot of tools to fight back.
As the city heads into the holidays, it is ramping up testing and vaccinations. On Christmas Eve, the city will give out thousands of rapid tests so that people can be sure they are not getting sick.
The city is giving away a free $100 to every person who gets their Covid booster shot before the end of the year.
