World marks New Year's Eve under restrictions

SYDNEY • The world ushered in the New Year, with pandemic controls muting celebrations for billions of people eager to bid virus-ridden 2020 farewell.

After a grinding year that has seen at least 1.8 million people die from Covid-19, fresh waves of infection have sparked renewed lockdowns and forced would-be revellers to extend their 2020 tradition of watching events from the sofa.

From Sydney to Rome, firework displays, pyre burnings and live performances were yesterday watched online or on television - if they have not been cancelled altogether.

In Britain, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered millions more people to live under the strictest Covid-19 restrictions from yesterday to counter a new variant of the virus that is spreading across the country.

Case numbers have risen sharply in Britain in the last two weeks, driven in part by a new strain that is up to 70 per cent more transmissible than the original.

The government, which reported another 981 deaths from the virus in the last 24 hours, said three quarters of England's population would be in the top tier of restrictions from 12.01am yesterday, covering 44.1 million people.

In those areas, hospitality venues and non-essential shops are closed, and households cannot mix.

In hard-hit London, 74-year-old American singer-songwriter Patti Smith will ring in the New Year with a tribute to National Health Service workers who have died from Covid-19, projected on the screen at London's Piccadilly Circus and streamed on YouTube.

Italy - where shocking images of makeshift morgues and exhausted medics awoke the world to the severity of the crisis - is under a nationwide lockdown until Thursday, and a 10pm curfew is in place.

And in Dubai, thousands were expected to attend a fireworks and a laser show at Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower, despite a slew of new cases. All those attending the event - whether at a public place, hotel or restaurant - would be required to wear masks and register with QR codes.

In Beirut, the authorities were cutting loose. A night curfew was pushed back to 3am. Bars, restaurants and nightclubs had all reopened and were advertising large parties to mark the turn of the year.

Celebrations in India would most likely be muted, as several states and major cities have imposed night curfews, restricted large gatherings and shut down pubs and restaurants.

However, there were no restrictions in Goa, a small state along India's western coast known for its grand beach parties during Christmas and New Year. The media has reported people arriving in Goa in droves during the past week.

In Taipei city, the government was allowing in-person attendance to its New Year's events, as well as broadcasting them live - including fireworks set off from the outside of Taipei 101, once the world's tallest building. It capped attendance at the main viewing spot at 40,000, half of the 80,000 it had originally planned, with attendees required to register their personal details and wear masks.

In Australia's largest city, Sydney, pyrotechnics will still light up the glittering harbour with a dazzling display, but few spectators will be there to watch in person.

Even a proposal to allow 5,000 front-line workers to replace absent tourists on the harbour foreshore as a token of thanks had to be abandoned.

"What a hell of a year it's been," said Ms Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of New South Wales state, where Sydney is located. "Hopefully 2021 will be easier on all of us."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS