New Years Eve celebration returns to Times Square with COVID-19 protocols

New Years Eve celebration returns to Times Square with COVID-19 protocols

Confetti flies after the Times Square New Year's Eve Ball drops in a nearly empty Times Square, early Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, as the area normally packed with revelers remained closed off due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says crowds will once again fill Times Square this New Year’s Eve. The mayor said Tuesday that proof of COVID-19 vaccination required for revelers who want to watch the ball drop in person. De Blasio said the celebration will come back “full strength the way we love it.” The president of the Times Square Alliance, said all spectators aged 5 and over will be asked to show proof of full vaccination. He said people who can’t be vaccinated because of a disability will have to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

Photo: Confetti flies after the Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball drops in a nearly empty Times Square, early Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, as the area normally packed with revelers remained closed off due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)