New York spent 2021 waiting for a big event that would mark the end of the Covid-19 era, with a lot of people gathered, without fear of contagion. The turnaround party for 2022, in Times Square, was a strong candidate to fulfill this symbolic role. But, again, it lacked to match the virus.
In the first half of the year, the advance of vaccination in the US generated the expectation of a Covid free summer. President Joe Biden said he hoped the July 4 holiday would also mark independence from the pandemic. But many Americans refused the immunization, and the disease rose again in the height of the US heat, surpassing 100,000 cases a day in early August.
That month, New York hosted a concert festival in Central Park to celebrate the reopening. But there was no way to be calm amid an average of 145,000 daily infections in the country. The event, expected to last four hours, ended abruptly due to a lightning storm.
The US reaches the end of 2021 with a new high of the disease, averaging over 300,000 new cases daily for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic — almost 10% of them in New York City. Although there has been a strong increase in the number of infections, the total number of deaths in the country’s symbol city remains low — an average of 25 per day — while deaths nationwide have risen: the average is in the range of 1,500 deaths per day.
The Christmas holiday was marked by scenes of huge lines at Covid’s test sites, hundreds of canceled flights and a lack of employees, driven away after being infected by the virus. Amidst this backdrop, more than ten Broadway productions were canceled due to cast contagion, including musicals such as “Alladin”, “Hamilton” and “The Lion King”.
Despite the worsening numbers, Mayor Bill de Blasio decided to keep the party on the night of the 31st, but on a smaller scale: only 15 thousand people will be able to enter the event area. Before, almost 60 thousand were planned. Everyone will have to present proof of vaccination —or proof that they have already had Covid— and wear a mask.
“New Yorkers have made tremendous progress in the last year. There is so much to celebrate, and the additional security measures will keep the fully vaccinated crowd safe as we enter the new year,” said the mayor, in announcing the reduction of the party.
Blasio wants to show that the city does not intend to close its doors again, and seeks a compromise to contain the disease without restricting (too much) activities. The metropolis relies heavily on income from office rental and tourism, two sectors that suffer losses in the event of more severe restrictions. Travelers alone brought $4 billion a year to the local economy before the pandemic.
The Democratic mayor is in his last days in office: on Saturday (1st), Eric Adams, from the same party, takes charge. He will be the second black man to head the largest metropolis in the US and supported the decision to keep the comeback party.
Despite Blasio’s enthusiasm, experts recommend that it would be best to avoid big parties at the turn. “When you’re talking about 30, 40, 50 people celebrating the New Year, you don’t know if they are vaccinated. I would strongly recommend staying away [das festas] in this year. There will be other years to do this,” Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease specialist and Biden’s adviser, said in an interview with CNN.
Blasio, however, says he will do everything to avoid a new lockdown and is betting on expanding vaccination: the city gives $100 to those who take the booster dose and mandated the mandatory immunization of public and private sector employees. Since last Monday (27), almost 200 thousand companies in the city can no longer allow employees who have not taken at least the 1st dose of the immunizing agent. The fine starts at US$1,000 in case of non-compliance.
Despite the effort, 19 out of every 100 inhabitants of the city have not even had the first dose of the vaccine. The city has 80.8% of residents protected with only one dose, and 71.9% with the second application or single dose immunization.
On the night of the 31st, the mayor will be responsible for pressing the button that will start the descent of the crystal ball, a ritual that is a symbol of the turning point in the city and has been performed for over a hundred years. New Year’s Eve parties there began in 1904, organized by The New York Times as a way to promote the address of its new headquarters, renamed Times Square (Times Square) due to the move.
The descent of the ball was a way to get around a ban on fireworks determined by the city hall, and the inspiration came from a naval practice at the time. Several ports, including Greenwich, had a large orb attached to a mast, which descended every day at midday or 1 pm. The signal could be seen from afar and helped ship captains set their clocks on board.
The first New Year’s ball, which came down in 1907, was made of iron and wood, with 100 bulbs of 25 watts each, which generated a strong visual effect for the time. The sphere was perfected in the following decades and is now decorated with crystals and illuminated by thousands of LEDs.
The descent lasts 60 seconds, and ends just as the new year begins. Before that, this Friday’s party (31) will have six hours of programming, with concerts by two singers in pop music, Karol G and Chlöe, two names that were successful in the 2000s, LL Cool J (hip hop singer) and KT Tunstall (“Suddenly I See”), as well as the band Journey, famous in the 1980s for hits like “Don’t Stop Believing”.
The scene of a small crowd, wearing masks, singing along to “don’t stop believing,” will be a good portrait of how the second year of the pandemic ends.
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