CANBERRA, Australia (AP) – This New Year’s Eve is celebrated like no other in many countries around the world, with pandemic restrictions restricting crowds and many other people who say good-bye for a year who prefer with fireworks designed for television or packing. early, as they may not toast at the end of 2020 in the presence of exciting friends or strangers.
As the clock kept going in Asia and the South Pacific and the clock was approaching in Europe, Africa and America, the New Year’s delight reflected national responses to the virus itself: some canceled or reduced the festivities, while others without active outbreaks were able to continue like any other year.
Australia among the first to call in 2021 due to its proximity to the foreign date line. In recent years, a million other people have invaded Sydney Harbour to see the fireworks. This time, the maximum was seen on television when the government suggested that citizens stay home see the seven minutes of pyrotechnics that illuminated the Sydney Harbour Bridge and its surroundings.
Melbourne, the most populous city of the time in Australia, cancelled its annual fireworks display to deter crowds. Officials in London made the same resolution months ago. New Year’s Eve.
In South Korea, seoul city government canceled its annual New Year’s Eve bell ring in Jongno district for the first time since the occasion first took place in 1953, months after the end of the Korean War.
New Zealand, which is two hours ahead of Sydney, and several of its neighboring South Pacific islands, which also do not have cases of active COVID-19, have maintained their same New Year’s business.
Taiwan also organized its same New Year’s Eve celebration, a fireworks demonstration near its capital’s iconic Taipei 101 tower. The island has recorded only seven deaths and 700 cases shown.
North Korea marked the beginning of 2021 with a fireworks demonstration in central Pyongyang. Crowds dressed in masks solemnly heard North Korea’s national anthem as the national flag was ized at midnight.
In Chinese societies, the virus has secured quieter New Year of the Sun celebrations, less noted than the Lunar New Year, which in 2021 will fall in February. The first reports of a mysterious respiratory disease affecting others in China. The city of Wuhan gave the impression just a year ago.
Much of Japan has quietly welcomed 2021 home, alarmed after Tokyo reported a record number of coronavirus cases shown, which exceeded 1,000 for the first time. the dangers of fitness for extended families.
South Africans have been suggested to cancel holidays and soft sails to honor fitness personnel and those who died in the COVID-19 pandemic.
In many countries, police were deployed with orders to end all street celebrations they encountered.
Millions of Indians opened the New Year with moderate celebrations at home due to curfews in the middle of the night, bans on beach festivals and restrictions on movement in major cities and towns after the new, more contagious variant of the virus arrived in the country.
In New Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, hotels and bars were ordered to close at 11 a. m. The Gifts monitored the movements of the citizens of Mumbai, India’s monetary and entertainment capital. Large meetings were banned.
Despite the increase in infections, the center of the Gulf of Dubai continued its massive celebrations for the New Year, the annual fireworks show around the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower.
For some, virus restrictions have ruined the fun.
“People come to Dubai because it’s open, but there are a lot of rules,” said Bashir Shehu, 50, who from Abuja, Nigeria, with his family. “We pray that next year we can celebrate with genuine freedom. In many European countries, the government warned that they are ready to take strong action against revelers who violate public aptitude rules, adding night curfews in France, Italy, Turkey, Latvia, czech Republic and Greece.
“No one will be on the street after 10 p. m. (Athens) will be a dead city to which no restrictions will be imposed,” said Greek Public Order Minister Michalis Chrisohoidis.
The French government flooded the streets of 100,000 law enforcement officials to demand curfews across the country.
Some public celebrations were planned, such as a fireworks demonstration over rome’s Colosseum, but the government suggested others from their balconies or, better yet, at home on television.
Abandoned by chronic nervous pain, Pope Francis skipped a thank you prayer service for New Year’s Eve and stated that some wonder why to give thanks in the midst of a pandemic. A Vatican cardinal replaced the Pope in St. Peter’s Basilica.
A few families have accumulated in the sunny central square of Madrid’s Puerta del Sol to pay attention to the practice session of the classic bell ring that takes place at midnight. They followed the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes with each bell ring before police cleared the domain that houses thousands of revelers.
The British government, juggling the two New Year’s Eve events with the permanent separation of the UK from the EU, has issued advertisements that implore the public to “see the New Year safely at home. “Most of the English population is subject to the strict restrictions imposed by mixed families. and close to pubs and restaurants.
In Scotland, which prides itself on the December 31 celebrations in Hogmanay, the government has detailed what it expects to see on New Year’s Eve.
“We will have to celebrate this new year in a responsible manner and in accordance with the restrictions,” said Scottish Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon. “To be clear, and I’m not excited to say this, it means there are no meetings, no parties at home, no instead, we introduce 2021 into our own homes with only our own houses. “
Many others around the world look to 2021 with hope, in part thanks to the arrival of vaccines that offer the possibility of overcoming the pandemic.
“Goodbye, 2020. Here’s Better: 2021,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Although there are no crowds in Times Square, the mayor promised that the city with more than 25,000 deaths from the virus will recover next year.
De Blasio said, “We turn the page and move on somewhere better. “
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Jordans reported from Bonn, Germany and Gatopoulos from Athens, Greece. AP news from around the world contributed to this report.