NEW YORK — New York City readied to embrace the new year — and bid good riddance to another pandemic-marred 12 months — as it revived its annual New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square, after forgoing a public event last year.
It did so as an uneasy nation tried to muster optimism that the worst days of the pandemic are now behind it — even as public health officials cautioned Friday against unbridled celebrations amid surging COVID-19 infections from the omicron variant.
The year marched across the globe, time zone by time zone, and thousands of New Year's revelers stood shoulder to shoulder in a slight chill to await the festivities.
In Times Square, throngs stretched for blocks to soak in the scaled-back celebration, with many traveling from afar to take part. Confetti lit up by electronic billboards swirled in a light wind on a mild winter night in New York City.
Mary Gonzalez stood a few feet behind a crowd, wanting to keep her distance from anyone unwittingly carrying the virus.
"I'm happy that 2021 is over because it caused a lot of problems for everybody," said Gonzalez, who was visiting from Mexico City and wanted to take in an American tradition. "We hope that 2022 is much better than this year."
The annual ball drop takes place as the clock ticks into midnight and ushers in the new year, an occasion usually commemorated with Champagne, clinking pints, joyous embraces and hopes for better times ahead.
Times Square is often referred to as the crossroads of the world, and city officials insisted on holding the marquee New Year's Eve event to demonstrate the city's resiliency even amid a resurgence of the coronavirus.
Still, the city said it would limit the number of people it let into Times Square to witness a 6-ton ball, encrusted with nearly 2,700 Waterford crystals, descend above a crowd of about 15,000 in-person spectators — far fewer than the many tens of thousands of revelers who usually descend on the world-famous square to bask in the lights, hoopla and shower of confetti during the nation's marquee New Year's Eve event.
But 2022 begins just as the year prior began — with the pandemic clouding an already uncertain future.
Doubts swirled about whether the city would have to cancel this year's bash, as the city posted record numbers of COVID-19 cases in the days leading to it, even as some cities like Atlanta had decided to cancel their own celebrations.
Last year's ball drop was closed to the public because of the pandemic.
COVID-19 cases in the U.S. have soared to their highest levels on record at over 265,000 per day on average. New York City reported a record number of new, confirmed cases — nearly 44,000 — on Wednesday and a similar number Thursday, according to New York state figures.
But Mayor Bill de Blasio, who will relinquish oversight of the nation's most populous city at the stroke of midnight, said the festivities at Times Square would "show the world that New York City is fighting our way through this."
Officials said those attending the spectacle would have to wear masks and show proof of vaccination. Organizers had initially hoped that more than 50,000 revelers would be able to join in, but plans were dramatically scaled back because of widespread infections.
Rap artist and actor LL Cool J was supposed to be among the performers taking the stage in Times Square Friday night, but announced he would pull out of the event because he had tested positive for COVID.
New York City's incoming mayor, Eric Adams, is scheduled to take his oath in Times Square soon after the ball drop. He expressed hope Thursday that 2022 would be "a new beginning of our resiliency."
It was a sentiment shared by ordinary people.
"I look back and I see it as a sort of a stressful year, but it wasn't a terrible year," said Lynn Cafarchio, who braved the crowds to attend the festivities with her husband Pete.
A New York City tour guide, she was unemployed for a spell as the economy was shuttered and tourism tanked.
"We're standing here glad that 2021 will soon be over," she said, "but really positive about next year."
Even if the crowds were considerably smaller, people gathered across block after block to witness the ball drop.
Nursing student Ashley Ochoa and her boyfriend, Jose Avelar, traveled from the central valley of California specifically to be at Times Square.
"COVID did hold a lot of stuff back for me," Ochoa said, "but I mean, I'm here today, so that's what I'm thankful for."
Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.