NEW YORK (AP) — With COVID-19 cases spiking, New York City officials said Wednesday they’re opening more testing sites and restricting visiting at city-run hospitals and jails — but having crowds in Times Square for New Year’s Eve is still a go, for now.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said no decision had been made on banning people from the annual ball drop celebration, even as Fox said it was canceling its live broadcast because of concerns about the omicron variant.
“The preference is to keep it on, it’s an important event for the city,” de Blasio told MSNBC, adding that revelers would have to show vaccination proof and that officials were weighing other precautions.