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London cancels New Year Celebrations

It will not be so festive this festive season as a major New Year celebration in London is set to be cancelled, says the British capital’s mayor Sadiq Khan.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London

The cancellation comes as worries rise with the rise in virus cases elevated by the spread of the new Covid-19 variant, Omicron.

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Mr. Khan said infections were spreading fast in the city and so the decision to cancel the celebration is part of his administration’s efforts to slow down the variant’s spread.

“This means that we will no longer be hosting a celebration event for 6,500 people on Trafalgar Square this New Year’s Eve,” Mr. Khan said.

“This will be very disappointing for many Londoners, but we must take the right steps to reduce the spread of the virus.”

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As compensation for the cancelling of the celebration, London city authorities said there would be a “live broadcast spectacular” on the BBC as a means to celebrate the city.

In other parts of Europe, similar events have been cancelled as fears of Omicron take hold.

In Paris, France, an announcement has already been made that the city’s annual fireworks show and other events will be cancelled.

Germany is also taking similar measures; plans are already underway to close nightclubs and limit the size of private parties.

In the Netherlands, a lockdown has been reimposed for one month.

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London’s daily case rates with respect to the spread of Covid-19 are growing to worrying proportions, it is one of Europe’s worst hit areas with more than 147,000 deaths during the pandemic and thousands of recent infections due to the Omicron variant.

In spite of this grim reality, prime minister Boris Johnson has rejected widespread calls to tighten restrictions over Christmas.

He vowed to keep the situation “under constant review” and see how the situation evolves.

Source: The Guardian

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