BERLIN — Successive countries are marking the coming of the year 2022, with many holding muted celebrations amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Celebrations were under way in Europe, where despite unseasonably mild weather, many large parties and fireworks displays were canceled, for example in London and Paris, or scaled down considerably, like in Madrid.
In Berlin, there were no big fireworks display at the Brandenburg Gate and no party with hundreds of thousands of people, and just before midnight Berlin police called on people not to head to the landmark as crowds kept flocking to the area anyway.
Meanwhile, public broadcaster ZDF offered a live show with singers like Bonnie Tyler and Marianne Rosenberg but no spectators.
Germany recently reintroduced contact restrictions due to fears of the rapid spread of the omicron variant, and there is once again a general ban on the sale of fireworks in the last days of the year.
The aim is to relieve hospitals of additional patients during the pandemic period. In some cities, fireworks are banned in certain areas. The police have announced increased checks.
In Rome, Italian police closed off some areas in the center of the city after fireworks were thrown at passers-by near the Colosseum metro station, ANSA news agency reported, adding that no injuries were initially reported.
Millions of people in Moscow celebrated the New Year in freezing temperatures with fireworks in several places and no major coronavirus restrictions.
Thousands gathered at Moscow’s famous Red Square, where the clock at the Kremlin struck 12 times to welcome the year 2022.
The Russian capital traditionally organizes fireworks in several places, best seen from the skyscraper district of Moskva City or from the Sparrow Hills.
The new year began first for the inhabitants of the South Pacific islands of Samoa and Kiribati, who saw in the new year at 1000 GMT, and New Zealand following one hour later.
Fireworks were allowed in Samoa this year, unlike last year when bans applied. Meanwhile, in Tonga, the authorities continued to warn the public not to approach Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano, which is spewing ash and gas into the air.
Sydney kicked off 2022 with 6 tons of colorful fireworks against the imposing backdrop of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, at a display ticket holders were able to attend.
Prepandemic, the spectacle drew more than 1 million people every year but this year, New South Wales, where Sydney is located, is the region worst affected by the virus nationwide, due to the spread of the omicron variant.
Taiwan’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Taipei, at one of the tallest buildings in the world, drew more than 1 million revelers, according to local media, as case numbers are relatively manageable.
Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation statistics showed that on Friday it served at least 1.57 million passengers. About 16,000 fireworks were used during a six-minute show, themed on well-being and a shared future, at the 1670-foot-tall Taipei 101 high-rise building.
