The park near the Sydney Opera House is fenced off Image: Mark Baker via PA Images The park near the Sydney Opera House is fenced off Image: Mark Baker via PA Images COUNTRIES AROUND THE world are preparing for muted New Year’s Eve celebrations as a result of coronavirus pandemic restrictions.
Some harbourside restaurants are charging up to 1,690 Australian dollars for a seat, according to reports in Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph newspaper. “We did that because we know that it attracts up to 450,000 people into the city for one moment at midnight to enjoy a spectacular display and music. We are not doing that this year.”
Taiwan will host its usual New Year’s celebration, a fireworks display by its capital city’s iconic tower, Taipei 101, as well as a flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Office Building the next morning. The island has been a success story in the pandemic, registering only seven deaths and 700 confirmed cases of Covid-19.
In Japan, some people skipped what is customarily a chance to return to ancestral homes for the holidays, hoping to lessen health risks for extended families.