Fireworks welcome New Year in Sydney

A light show and fireworks display brought in the New Year in Australia on Friday night, despite a surge in coronavirus cases.

The spectacle took place against the backdrop of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House.

Hours before the celebrations began, Australian health authorities reported a record 32,000 new virus cases, many of them in Sydney.

Because of the surge, crowds were far smaller than in pre-pandemic years, when as many as one million revellers would crowd the city centre.

IMAGE: AP