NYC's Times Square to be open on New Year's Eve; full COVID-19 vaccination mandatory

New York City's Times Square will be packed again on New Year's Eve, with evidence of the COVID-19 vaccine necessary for anyone who wants to see the ball drop live. Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed this on Tuesday. The Times Square Twitter page also posted the announcement.

All spectators aged 5 and above will be required to produce confirmation of full vaccination, according to Tom Harris, president of the Times Square Alliance. Those who are unable to get vaccinated due to a disability will be required to show documentation of a negative COVID-19 test, he said. During the peak of the pandemic last year, the city's most iconic public gathering, New Year's Eve, was a socially distant celebration.

Times Square New York to be open on New Year's Eve for people with full COVID-19 vaccination

There were no masses of excited participants crowding together. The streets were mainly quiet as residents were advised to stay at home and watch the ball drop on television. Behind police barricades, entertainers such as Jennifer Lopez performed for small groups of essential workers. The city's public celebrations have been on the rise in 2021, due to the implementation of vaccines. The Macy's Fourth of July fireworks have reopened to the public, and several parades have returned to city streets.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade will also revert to pre-COVID form, with huge balloons being guided by volunteer handlers through the event's Manhattan parade route, rather than the one-block span they were restricted to last year. At the intersection of Broadway and 7th Avenue, Times Square is a business intersection, tourist destination, entertainment centre, and neighbourhood in New York City's Midtown Manhattan area. It extends from West 42nd to West 47th Streets and is known as "the Crossroads of the World," "the Center of the Universe," "the Heart of the Great White Way," and "the Heart of the World." It is also the hub of the Broadway Theater District and a key centre of the world's entertainment industry. It is one of the world's busiest pedestrian districts. Times Square is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It has an estimated 50 million visitors each year. On the peak days, nearly 460,000 pedestrians stroll through Times Square, with approximately 330,000 people passing through daily, many of whom are tourists.

With inputs from AP

(IMAGE: Twitter - Times Square NYC)