ICYMI – The world rings in the New Year in the shadow of a rising number of COVID-19 cases.
This weekend, people around the world celebrated the New Year, although the presence of the COVID-19 Omicron variant cast a shadow over the festivities. Auckland, New Zealand, was among the first to welcome the New Year, as the city recently eased lockdown restrictions, allowing crowds to gather publicly for the first time since August. In contrast, Paris cancelled its usual fireworks display and DJ sets on the Champs-Elysees, leaving the Arc de Triomphe without its traditional colorful display. Despite the lack of festivities, Jonas Berstein, a German tourist visiting Paris for the occasion, said, “It’s understandable.”0
