Omitron reduced and cancelled New Year's celebrations worldwide

Only 15,000 spectators were allowed in the sight zone instead of 58,000 usually. A year ago, the newly available vaccine offered hope that the COVID-19 pandemic could be under control until early 2022. Instead, Omitron's sudden arrival has brought an increase in coronary cases worldwide.

Infections worldwide reached a high record during the last seven-day period, with an average of just over one million cases discovered a day between December 24th and 30th, about 100,000 more than the previous peak posted Wednesday, according to Reuters data. Deaths, however, have not increased, bringing hope that the new version is less deadly.

Somewhere around the globe, activities were reduced or completely canceled, such as the traditional fireworks on the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

In the Netherlands, where groups of more than four are banned, the police scattered several thousand people who had come to a challenging gathering in Amsterdam's downtown Dam Square.

People in Madrid stood in line for hours to enter the main Puerta del Sol Square, where celebrations took place with numerous security checkpoints, mandatory masks and capacity at 60% of normal levels.

In Asia, celebrations were largely reduced or canceled. In South Korea, a traditional midnight bell ring ceremony was canceled for the second year, while celebrations were stopped in Tokyo's Shibuya amusement district.

China, where the Coronervirus first appeared at the end of 2019, was on high alert with the city of Xian under the isolation and events of the New Year in other canceled cities. /European