(Photo : Getty Images/Brendon Thorne)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JANUARY 01: Fireworks light the sky over the Sydney Harbour Bridge during New Year's Eve celebrations on January 01, 2021 in Sydney, Australia. Celebrations look different this year as COVID-19 restrictions remain in place due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
The world began heralding on New Year on Thursday, with pandemic protocols subduing celebrations for billions of people anticipating to bid farewell to a virus-ridden year.
New Year Celebrations
After a searing year that has witnessed at least 1.7 million fatalities due to COVID-19, fresh waves of novel coronavirus cases have ignited renewed lockdowns and forced would-be revelers to tone down their celebration traditions.
It is reportedly suitable that New Year's celebrations worldwide will be subdued or canceled as authorities attempt to stop mass gatherings to mitigate the prevalence of the coronavirus.
The new year arrives in the midst of growing concern regarding the global prevalence of a new COVID-19 variant originally detected in the United Kingdom, reported NBC News.
Australia will be among the first countries to herald 2021 due to its proximity to the International Date Line. It is a dire end to 2020 for New South Wales and Victoria, the nation's two most populous states, which are grappling with curbing new COVID-19 outbreaks.
In past years, one million people occupied Sydney's harbor with watching fireworks that center on the Sydney Harbor Bridge, but now, they will be watching on TV as authorities prompt residents to stay in their houses, reported CBC.
In the United Kingdom, which reported 981 fatalities on Wednesday in the midst of a surge connected to a new COVID-19 variant, people looking to celebrate New Year's Eve have been warned that they should leave the parties for later in 2021 as "COVID loves a crowd." On Wednesday, upon hitting 50,023 new cases, the government declared more rigid restrictions, reported The Guardian.
Samoa and Tonga ushered in 2021 at 10 AM GMT with a fireworks display over the capital city of Apia.
Also, New Zealand welcomed the New Year with fireworks in the city of Auckland. Celebrations on the island nation would depict more closely the normality of years gone than in most other places as the nation is currently free of any confirmed coronavirus cases. Recently re-elected Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's administration has introduced a rigid quarantine policy for those entering the country in efforts to alleviate new instances of the virus entering New Zealand.
Visuals of the celebrations on social media displayed large crowds gathered at the waterfront to watch the fireworks as the country entered 2021.
London's trademark fireworks show over the River Thames is canceled this time around. Much of England is now under rigid stay-at-home limitations. However, there will be a special BBC broadcast for people to enjoy while they are indoors.
Samoa and portions of Kiribati were the first to herald the new year and bid goodbye to the tumultuous 12 months that witnessed worldwide protests, the global health crisis, and a United States president refusing to concede defeat.
Despite being relatively untouched by the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation registered its first case in mid-November. Thus, public fireworks displays were canceled, and international tourists were prohibited from entering.
France has mobilized 100,000 police officials to break up New Year's Eve parties and implement a night curfew.
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