On a December 30, 2021 morning TV interview New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the ball drop in Times Square will go on as planned. City Councilman Mark Levine, who chairs the health committee, to cancel it as other cities like Rome, Paris, and Tokyo have done. Levine and others fear that it could become a superspreader event.
December 31, 2021 is the mayor’s last day in office. So this superspreading event will be his swan song. Shortly after the ball drops, Eric Adams will be sworn in as the city’s 110th mayor in Times Square. It will be his job to clean up the aftermath. Adams had planned to have an inauguration ceremony at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn Saturday night but canceled it because of rising COVID cases.
The celebration in Times Square typically holds around 58,000 people in viewing areas, but this year it will be limited to 15,000 people. Everyone will be required to wear a mask and show photo identification. All visitors to the Times Square celebration are required to show proof of vaccination if they are older than 5. Any unvaccinated children younger than 5 must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult to attend.
In November 2021, de Blasio had announced the return of a “big, strong, full strength” in-person New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square this year following its Wack Waving virtual event last year due to pandemic concerns. So are the safety precautions enough to keep New Yorkers and visitors safe? Of course not.