‘I’ll survive’: Gloria Gaynor’s hit song said goodbye to 2020 in Times Square

With reduced inflow Times Square, almost empty beaches of Rio de Janeiro and the Champs Elysees practically deserted in Paris, the world has quietly welcomed the year 2021 under the influence of the covid-19 pandemic.

After months of restrictions due to the contagious disease that has claimed more than 1.8 million lives worldwide, the new waves of the epidemic have forced most people to follow the festivities from the couch of their homes.

At New York, the Manhattan neighborhood was blocked and people urged to watch TV shows from stars like Jennifer Lopez and Gloria Gaynor who at 77 sang the old hit “Sobreviviré” (I will survive).

In Times Square, which is packed with euphoric people every December 31st who enjoy the “ball drop” under a shower of confetti, the crowd has been replaced by frontline pandemic workers who have been specially invited and separated by fences to ensure social distancing.

“This year can’t be worse than the last,” said Jordan Mann, a 31-year-old actress who spent the night at home with her peers. Mayor Bill de Blassio said 2020 was “without a doubt the most difficult year in New York history. “” In January, we will vaccinate one million New Yorkers, “he promised.

The United States is the country with the highest number of deaths in the world. However, President-elect Joe Biden, who will take office in three weeks, said he was optimistic. “The United States can do anything and I have no doubts that we will come back and be even stronger,” he told ABC Network.

Brazil, the second country with the most deaths from the pandemic, received 2021 with its iconic Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro almost deserted instead of the millions of people it normally hosts every December 31 to celebrate the new year with sea ​​baths and fireworks.

After pandemic year, the world celebrates the arrival of 2021

Police blocked access to Rio’s beaches and fireworks were fired at midnight, but cacerolazos were also heard shouting “Bolsonaro!” in Brazil.

New ZealandCountry applauded for its handling of the virus, it greeted the New Year with crowds gathered in Auckland for a fireworks display.

In Sydney, the largest city of AustraliaThe New Year’s fireworks illuminated the harbor with a dazzling spectacle, but few spectators.

“I think everyone sees 2021 as a new start,” said Karen Roberts, one of the lucky few who was able to witness the fires near the famous Sydney Opera House.

“A year more”

In Madrid, the Spaniards ate the twelve grapes with the chime of the famous Puerta del Sol clock from the sofas in their homes, since the famous square in the Spanish capital was completely empty on New Year’s Eve.

There have been no celebrations in London battered as recommended by the government, which has asked people to stay home to avoid spreading the virus with the slogan ‘Pretend you have it’.

American singer Patti Smith, 74, gave a concert on YouTube in tribute to British toilets that died from covid-19. But the live broadcast on the big screen of Piccadilly Circus was canceled at the last minute due to the pandemic.

There were also no celebrations for the UK’s final exit from the European Union, which materialized at 23:00 GMT (00:00 Brussels time). A few dozen people showed up in Parliament Square in London to hear Big Ben.

Champs-Elysées deserts

In Paris, the Champs Elysees were empty. Under the trees adorned with red lights, about twenty police officers stopped the few vehicles which circulated on this famous street to verify the travel certificates and to impose a fine on the violators.

France lived New Year’s Eve under a curfew, exceptionally guarded by 100,000 police and gendarmes.

In Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus was first detected at the end of 2019, thousands of people celebrated the arrival of 2021.

In Hong Kong, despite the restrictions, some have ventured into Victoria Harbor to take selfies.

In Russia, President Vladimir Putin acknowledged in his New Year’s speech that a second wave of coronavirus is hitting the country. “Unfortunately, the epidemic has not been completely stopped. The fight against the epidemic does not stop for a minute,” he said.

Not long before, like every year, a few dozen people plunged into the icy waters of Lake Baikal in Siberia, with temperatures as low as -35 ° C.

Rome without fireworks

Romans also attended the festivities at the Circus Maximus, the city’s oldest stadium, from their homes.

Although the mayor’s office has banned the fireworks and firecrackers that usually resonate in the Eternal City.

In Dubai, thousands of people witnessed a fireworks display and laser light show at Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world, despite a large number of new cases. Participants had to wear a mask and register with a QR code.