New Year in Times Square in New York will be greeted only by the inoculated

New York City’s main square, Times Square, will be open to vaccinated citizens and tourists on New Year’s Eve. The announcement was made Tuesday by Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Times Square is one of the popular New Year’s Eve locations for New Yorkers and visitors. Last year, however, that tradition was disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. “We are pleased to announce that we intend to have a wonderful New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, with a balloon drop and all. It’s all coming back in full force,” he said. – It’s going to be amazing. We’re expecting hundreds of thousands of attendees, but it requires a coronavirus vaccination,” he added.

As David Kokschi, head of the city’s health department, clarified, you will need to bring a certificate of vaccination and a photo ID to participate in the celebration. If vaccination is not possible for medical reasons, it will be necessary to present a negative test for coronavirus, made no earlier than 72 hours before the event. For children under five years of age, proof of vaccination will not be required. However, both they and those adults who are unable to get vaccinated due to medical contraindications will be required to wear masks. Those vaccinated will be allowed to be in Times Square without a mask.

A clarification on the City Hall website states that a full vaccination – that is, vaccination with two doses of the two-part vaccine or one dose of the one-part vaccine – is required to visit Times Square. After that, it should take at least two more weeks to build up immunity.

New York City is slowly coming back to life after the pandemic. More than 80% of the city’s residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. About 67% of residents have been fully vaccinated.

The first celebration in the heart of New York City’s Manhattan borough was celebrated en masse in 1904 and coincided with the opening of The New York Times headquarters. One of the skyscrapers and the square itself were renamed in honor of the publication. During the first celebration there were fireworks, but in 1907 fireworks were banned in the city, and the newspaper began celebrating the New Year by lowering a giant balloon from the spire of the high-rise building. Subsequently, the tradition of fireworks was resumed.