New Year’s Eve celebrations muted by coronavirus as curtain draws on 2020
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A signs adorns a security fence near the Sydney foreshore ahead of New Year's Eve in Sydney, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 31. One million people would usually crowd the Sydney Harbor to watch the annual fireworks that center on the Sydney Harbor Bridge. But this year authorities are advising revelers to watch the fireworks on television.2/33
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A man runs in front of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 31. Due to the current corona restrictions the annual New Year's Eve celebrations at the Brandenburg Gate with hundreds of thousands guests won't take place this year. Germany is entering 2021 in a lockdown that appears certain to be extended beyond its current Jan. 10 end date, with new coronavirus cases and deaths related to COVID-19 remaining at worryingly high levels.3/33
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People hold cutouts to welcome the New Year in Ahmedabad, India, Thursday, Dec. 31.4/33
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A balloon vendor waits for customers in usually bustling Warsaw's Castle Square that has few people now under anti-COVID-19 restrictions on New Year's Eve, in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, Dec. 31.5/33
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People wear face masks as they walk past the 'KaDeWe' department store in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 31. Germany is entering 2021 in a lockdown that appears certain to be extended beyond its current Jan. 10 end date, with new coronavirus cases and deaths related to COVID-19 remaining at high levels. The country has recorded well over 1.6 million cases so far, including more than 32,000 deaths.6/33
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People wear face masks as they queue in front of the 'KaDeWe' department store in Berlin, Germany, Thursday, Dec. 31. Germany is entering 2021 in a lockdown that appears certain to be extended beyond its current Jan. 10 end date, with new coronavirus cases and deaths related to COVID-19 remaining at high levels. The country has recorded well over 1.6 million cases so far, including more than 32,000 deaths.7/33
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People, wearing face masks to protect against the coronavirus, ride a scooter in front of a banner welcoming New Year 2021 in Vung Tau city, Vietnam, Thursday, Dec. 31.8/33
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People visit Sensoji temple on New Year's Eve in Tokyo Thursday, Dec. 31.9/33
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Police direct visitors around Shibuya crossing, a popular location for New Year's Eve gathering, Thursday, Dec. 31, in Tokyo. Tokyo's downtown Shibuya district has canceled its annual countdown event at a popular "scramble Intersection" area outside of its main train station, and a "countdown vision" screen will be turned off at 11 p.m.10/33
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A man salutes during the national flag-hoisting ceremony during celebrations to mark the New Year, at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea, early Friday, Jan., 1, 2021.11/33
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Visitors wearing face masks walk near a New Year banner at a shopping district in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Dec. 31.12/33
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People walk at the waterfront of the Victoria Harbor to celebrate the New Year's Eve of year 2021, in Hong Kong, Thursday, Dec. 31. The harbor would normally be very busy with light displays and fireworks to celebrate New Year.13/33
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A security guard stands on duty as a phoenix is shown on a giant screen on New Year Eve in Beijing Thursday, Dec. 31. This New Year's Eve is being celebrated like no other, with pandemic restrictions limiting crowds and many people bidding farewell to a year they'd prefer to forget.14/33
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Visitors to a mall passes by Happy New Year greetings shown on a giant screen in Beijing Thursday, Dec. 31. This New Year's Eve is being celebrated like no other, with pandemic restrictions limiting crowds and many people bidding farewell to a year they'd prefer to forget.15/33
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Visitors to a mall pose for photos on New Year Eve in Beijing on Thursday, Dec. 31. This New Year's Eve is being celebrated like no other, with pandemic restrictions limiting crowds and many people bidding farewell to a year they'd prefer to forget.16/33
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Patrons wearing masks to protect from the coronavirus visit a bar street on New Year Eve in Beijing on Thursday, Dec. 31. This New Year's Eve is being celebrated like no other, with pandemic restrictions limiting crowds and many people bidding farewell to a year they'd prefer to forget.17/33
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ANDREW MILLIGAN/PA VIA AP
A police car drives through Edinburgh, Scotland's town center, as people are urged to avoid Hogmanay celebrations in the midst of tough coronavirus restrictions on Thursday, Dec. 31.18/33
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A view of an empty avenue during a curfew on New Year's Eve to prevent gatherings and the spread of coronavirus in Rabat, Morocco, Thursday, Dec. 31.19/33
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Police secure Istiklal Street, the main shopping street in Istanbul, late Thursday, Dec. 31, as they enforce a four-day lockdown on New Year's Eve, in a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19 and measures against New Year's gatherings are to be enforced. Istanbul's governor said Thursday some 34,000 law enforcement personnel would be on duty to enforce the rules in Turkey's most populous city. Turkey has among the worst infection rates in the world but official statistics show the 7-day average of daily infections have dropped to around 16,000 from above 30,000 since evening curfews and weekend lockdowns were instituted in early December.20/33
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In this combo of images, a few people, on the top image, stand in the plaza in front of the Ottoman-era Mecidiye mosque in Ortakoy square under the "July 15th Martyrs' bridge, formerly known as Bosporus Bridge, over the Bosporus Strait, separating Europe and Asia, in Istanbul, late Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, where in the bottom image people celebrate the new year at the same spot, early Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City's Times Square this New Year's Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro.21/33
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A combo of images that shows an empty historic center in Brussels on Thursday Dec. 31, 2020 and the same location full of revelers celebrating the New Year early on Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City's Times Square this New Year's Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro.22/33
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This combo image shows the Hotel Indonesia Roundabout in Jakarta, a popular spot for New Year's Eve celebration, taken on Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, top photo, and Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2019, bottom photo. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City's Times Square this New Year's Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro.23/33
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Conchita, 90 years old, a resident of the San Jeronimo nursing home, blows a party horn during New Year's Eve celebrations in Estella, northern Spain, Thursday, Dec. 31.24/33
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A woman, wearing a mask to help protect from the spread of the coronavirus, poses for photographs in front of decorations in central Istanbul's Taksim Square, late Thursday, Dec. 31. A four-day lockdown is set to begin in Turkey at 9 p.m. Thursday — New Year's Eve — in a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19 and measures against New Yeer's gatherings are to be enforced. Istanbul's governor said Thursday some 34,000 law enforcement personnel would be on duty to enforce the rules in Turkey's most populous city. Turkey has among the worst infection rates in the world but official statistics show the 7-day average of daily infections have dropped to around 16,000 from above 30,000 since evening curfews and weekend lockdowns were instituted in early December.25/33
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PATRICK PLEUL/DPA VIA AP
In this long time exposure image, a person appears blurred as he paints 2021 with a sparkler firework to represent the coming year, in the darkness on New Year's Eve, in Briesen, Germany, late Thursday Dec. 31.26/33
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A square decorated for New Year celebrations is seen nearly deserted and without the Holiday Market due to the virus-related restrictions prior to New Year's celebrations in Grozny, Russia, Thursday, Dec. 31.27/33
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Dubai celebrates the new year in India by reflecting their national flag on the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, to mark New Year in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021.28/33
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A police officer wearing mask stands guard at a check point on a deserted street on the eve of new year in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Dec. 31.29/33
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This combination photograph shows a handful of people in front of the iconic Gateway of India, top, a popular place to celebrate New Year's Eve in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, as compared to a file photograph of a crowd celebrating on Dec. 31, 2019. As the world says goodbye to 2020, there will be countdowns and live performances, but no massed jubilant crowds in traditional gathering spots like the Champs Elysees in Paris and New York City's Times Square this New Year's Eve. The virus that ruined 2020 has led to cancelations of most fireworks displays and public events in favor of made-for-TV-only moments in party spots like London and Rio de Janeiro.30/33
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A house is decorated with lights as people have a party on the eve of new year in Mumbai, India, Thursday, Dec. 31.31/33
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A woman, wearing a face mask to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, walks past a closed pub with New Year 2021 balloons decoration in downtown Brussels, Thursday, Dec. 31.32/33
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This in an overview of the empty Hotel Indonesia Roundabout, a spot normally crowded with people on New Year's Eve, at the main business district in Jakarta, Indonesia, late Thursday, Dec. 31. Indonesian government banned celebration events on the New Year's eve that could attract crowd to prevent the spread of coronavirus outbreak.33/33
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People cross the Irrawaddy River near Mandalay during the last sunset of the year in Mandalay, Myanmar, Thursday, Dec. 31.
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