New Year's Celebrations Begin Around the World: Some Countries Have No Restrictions on Crowds, While Others...

Andrew Beatty : Dec 31, 2020
Times of Israel

It's an eye-opener to see how some countries are celebrating the much-awaited coming New Year compared to others. Some countries, like New Zealand and Dubai have none, or few, restrictions on crowds eager to say good-bye to 2020. In other countries, it's a different story. In Israel, 2,000 police officers will reportedly "deploy around the country on Thursday night to enforce virus lockdown restrictions against travel and gatherings." And in several US cities, such as Boston and San Francisco, police will likewise be out in force shutting down private parties. Even the historic Times Square celebrations in New York City have been shut down – for the first time in more than 100 years.

(Australia) — [Timesofisrael.com] — The eagerly awaited first seconds of 2021 fell first on the Pacific nations of Kiribati and Samoa, with the uninhabited Howland and Baker Islands the last to tip over into the New Year, 26 hours later. (Screengrab via YouTube/ The Times of Israel)

New Zealand, which has won plaudits for its handling of the coronavirus, followed an hour later with large crowds gathered in Auckland to watch a fireworks display.

Although still isolated by international border closures, months of zero recorded cases in the community have let life in New Zealand return to relative normality.

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