The planet began Thursday to turn the page of the year 2020 marked by the pandemic due to the coronavirus which forces billions of people to celebrate in privacy and at home the passage to the New Year.
Broken to months of restrictions or even confinement due to Covid-19, which killed at least 1.7 million people worldwide, the new epidemic waves have forced a majority of residents to follow the celebrations from their sofa. From Sydney to Rome, they attended the fireworks and shows behind a television or computer screen provided the festivities were not canceled.
In France, police officers were deployed to ensure compliance with the ban on gatherings or the curfew put in place for the evening of Thursday: any movement between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. is prohibited, except for authorized reasons. In Paris, the Champs-Elysées, a traditional festive and sometimes alcoholic gathering place, are particularly monitored in order to prevent any meeting. To limit the possibilities of gathering, the Paris police prefect requested the assistance of the RATP: only half of the 16 metro lines are functioning from 8 p.m., with reduced frequencies, and a limited number of stations served.
A London, hit hard by the outbreak, the celebrations were muted as the government urged people to stay home to avoid spreading the virus, with the slogan “act like you have it”. 74-year-old American singer Patti Smith was giving a livestream concert in tribute to caregivers of the NHS, the UK’s public health system, who died of Covid-19. But its giant screen live stream at Piccadilly Circus was canceled at the last minute due to a pandemic, and its fans had to settle for YouTube.
A Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, thousands of people were expected to witness a fireworks and laser show at Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, despite new cases. All people had to wear a mask or register using a QR code.
In Russia, President Vladimir Putin admitted in his New Year’s speech that a second wave of infections was hitting the nation. “Unfortunately, the epidemic has not yet been completely stopped. The fight against the epidemic does not stop for a minute “, did he declare.
In Germany, in her New Year’s greetings, Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that this crisis “Historical” of the coronavirus was expected to continue in 2021 even if the vaccine provides“Hope”.
It was from their living room that the Romans attended the festivities that took place at Circus Maximus, the oldest stadium in the city. Two hours of spectacle were on the program as well as an illumination of the most emblematic sites of the city. The municipality has banned the fireworks and firecrackers which usually resound in the streets and squares of the city.
Italy, where photos of makeshift morgues and exhausted caregivers have made the rest of the planet aware of the severity of the crisis, is subject to lockdown until January 7 and a curfew from 10 p.m. The 31st celebrations were prohibited in both public and private places.
A New York, where Times Square usually overflows with euphoric people under a shower of confetti, the Manhattan neighborhood was cordoned off and revelers encouraged to follow the televised countdown from home, with American singer Gloria Gaynor performing her famous song at 77. disco I Will Survive (” I will Survive “). The United States is the country in the world most bereaved by the pandemic and in his wishes, Mayor Bill de Blasio referred to 2020 as “Arguably the hardest year in New York history”. “In January, we are going to vaccinate a million New Yorkers”, he promised.
In Beirut, Lebanon, still reeling from the deadly and devastating explosion of August 4, the authorities relaxed the measures. The curfew was pushed back to 3 a.m. Bars, restaurants and nightclubs have reopened and held big New Years parties.
The city of Wuhan, in China, where the virus first emerged in late 2019, saw thousands of people gather to celebrate the New Year. Same scenes in Taipei, capital of Taiwan, which held a more traditional celebration, with crowds gathering to watch fireworks.
The New Zealand, where only a few restrictions remain, is one of the only countries on the planet where the inhabitants have been able to celebrate the transition to 2021 without an interposed screen. Large crowds gathered in Auckland to witness a fireworks display.
A Sydney, Australia’s largest city, the famous New Year’s Eve fireworks display was fired over the Bay, but with almost no spectators appearing after a recent outbreak of contamination appeared in the north of the city which totals some 150 cases.
Even the plan to allow 5,000 people working on the front lines in the fight against the epidemic to attend, to thank them for their efforts, has been abandoned. “Everyone is waiting for 2021 as a new start”, said Karen Roberts, one of the few spectators to be admitted to a bar near the famous Sydney Opera House.
A Hongkong, despite the restrictions, a few revelers ventured to the Victoria Harbor waterfront to take selfies.
A Tokyo, where residents face the prospect of imposing a state of emergency after a record 1,300 new infections a day, people lined up with masks and face guards to offer New Year’s prayers .
