NEW YORK (AP) — Mayor Bill de Blasio says New York City will ring in 2022 in Times Square as planned despite record numbers of COVID-19 infections in the city and around the nation.
De Blasio said on NBC's "Today" show on Thursday that he wants to show the world that the city is "fighting our way through this."
After banning revelers from Times Square a year ago due to the pandemic, city officials announced plans previously for a scaled-back New Year's bash with smaller crowds and vaccinations required.
According to the Associated Press, the nation is dealing with surging cases due to the omicron variant, with COVID cases soaring to their highest levels on record at over 265,000 per day on average.
Cases are surging in New York City, with health officials reporting that about 44,000 cases were reported on Wednesday.
The city's next mayor, Eric Adams, will take the oath of office in Times Square shortly after the ball drops.
News of New York City's decision comes a day after actor LL Cool J reportedly announced that he would not be a part of “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2022″ after he tested positive for COVID-19.