New Year’s Eve in Times Square still on, with smaller crowd

By MICHAEL R. SISAK
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Revelers will still ring in the new year in New York’s Times Square next week, there just won’t be as many as usual under new COVID-19 restrictions. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday that viewing areas that normally accommodate about 58,000 people will be limited to about 15,000 people to allow for more distancing. Everyone in attendance must show proof of vaccination and wear a mask. The changes were made as the Big Apple grapples with a spike in virus cases fueled by the rapid spread of the omicron variant. On Tuesday, the city set a one-day record with 17,200 new cases.