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The world has marked the turn of the year, overshadowed by the corona pandemic: People in cities like Sydney, New York and Berlin started the new year on Friday night with huge fireworks, but mostly without visitors, with the hope of an end. Pandemic. In New York, only top aides in the Corona crisis were invited to the Times Square event.
Like every year, countless rockets lit up the sky over the port of the Australian metropolis Sydney at midnight. Unlike other years, only very few visitors were allowed into the city due to the corona pandemic.
Fireworks yes, public no: hardly anyone at the Sydney Opera House.
Photo: Brook Mitchell (Getty Images)
As in Australia, due to the corona pandemic, strict exit restrictions are enforced in many countries around the world on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Eve, which are intended to avoid major celebrations and festivals. There are also strict restrictions on meetings in Germany. The sale of New Year’s Eve fireworks was also banned across the country this year due to the corona pandemic to protect hospitals from overload.
In Berlin, fireworks took place at the Brandenburg Gate despite the pandemic; however, the access roads to the area had been cordoned off, where tens of thousands of people usually play on New Years. The Berlin police recorded only a few violations of the crown’s requirements until shortly after midnight.
New York’s Times Square also didn’t draw a huge crowd this year. The only spectators were specially invited helpers in the Corona crisis, who were able to enjoy the show from a sufficient distance. After the appearances of pop stars like Jennifer Lopez and Gloria Gaynor, the famous crystal ball, the Times Square Ball, was lowered at midnight.
In Brazil, where around 195,000 corona deaths have been recorded since the start of the pandemic, authorities prevented celebrators from gathering on Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana beach. Typically, one of the largest New Year’s Eve celebrations in the world takes place there. However, the pandemic did not stop residents from lighting up the city with amateur fireworks.
The outbreak of fireworks was mixed with the loud protests of numerous protesters. People were leaning out of windows, banging on pots and pans, and protesting against President Jair Bolsonaro, whom they accuse of dealing irresponsibly with the Corona crisis. “Out, Bolsonaro!” Shouted numerous protesters.
Unlike the West, which was hit hard by the pandemic, people celebrated in New Zealand, where, thanks to strict entry bans, no new corona cases have been recorded for weeks. Large crowds gathered in Auckland and other cities to marvel at the midnight fireworks display.
In Wuhan, China, thousands of people crowded the city center and cheered balloons to greet the year 2021. “2020 was a very difficult year for us,” said resident Xu Du of the AFP news agency. Most of the people wore masks during Thursday night celebrations, which included a light show.
Wuhan, a metropolis with a population of 11 million, has been cordoned off from the outside world for more than two months since late January after the new corona virus was first detected there. However, since the summer, everyday life has slowly returned.
Then Switzerland celebrated New Year’s Eve – go to the article.
