UK: New Year's Eve event at Trafalgar Square cancelled as Omicron cases rise

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, announced on December 21 that New Year's Eve event at Trafalgar Square will not take place due to public safety concerns amid the Omicron scare. The Mayor has advised people to spend the night watching television. Due to the escalating number of Omicron cases, the UK capital had already planned to stage a special event instead of a typical fireworks show.

The Mayor posted the announcement on Twitter. The caption read, "Due to the surge in COVID cases, we have taken the difficult decision to cancel our NYE event in Trafalgar Square. The safety of Londoners must come first. A spectacular NYE celebration showcasing our city will still be shown on midnight on BBC1 - I urge all Londoners to tune in."

'We must take the right steps to reduce the spread of the virus'

"This will be very disappointing for many Londoners, but we must take the right steps to reduce the spread of the virus... I'm proud that we will still have an incredible broadcast spectacular to watch on our screens, which will showcase our great city to the rest of the world," Khan stated.

According to Khan, 65,500 new coronavirus cases have been reported in London in the last week, resulting in a 29% rise in hospital admissions. The decision was made after government experts asked for stricter limitations earlier this month, claiming that if no restrictions were imposed, the daily number of new cases might reach 600,000 to two million by the end of December.

Queen cancelled Christmas celebration at Sandringham for the second year in a row

COVID has caused Queen Elizabeth II, 95, to deviate from tradition for the second year in a row by spending Christmas at Windsor Castle, west of London, rather than at the royal Sandringham estate in eastern England. The queen will be spending her first Christmas without her husband, late Prince Philip, who died in April. However, members of the royal family are anticipated to pay her a visit over the holidays.

Before the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, which has caused an increase in COVID-19 infections, 6,500 people were expected to attend the event in central London. The recent rise of cases has wreaked havoc on London's entertainment and hospitality industries, with Khan warning of serious job losses if the trend continues.

Image: AP/Pixabay