Sydney, Dec. 28, (dpa/GNA) – Sydney’s New Year’s Eve fireworks will go ahead, but due to the pandemic the extravaganza will be smaller than previous years and no-one will be allowed on the harbour foreshore to watch the spectacle, it was announced Monday.
The fireworks will be launched explode from Sydney Harbour Bridge only for seven minutes, and people will be barred from the city and foreshores to prevent crowds forming where the coronavirus could spread, New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters.
“My strong message to everyone in Sydney this year is to watch the fireworks on TV,” Berejiklian said.
People entering the city’s restricted zones on New Year’s Eve to visit a home or a booked hotel or restaurant must have a special permit to pass police road blocks.
“All of us, no matter where we are in NSW or Australia, in the world for that matter, can enjoy the seven-minute display from home and that is the safest way this year to enjoy the fireworks.”
“We ask people to refrain from kissing and hugging on New Year’s Eve to stop the virus spreading,” she said.
The northern beaches part of Sydney where a virus outbreak has seen 127 people infected is under strict lockdown.
In the rest of Sydney, no more than 10 people are permitted to visit a home and outdoor festivities are limited to 50 people.
Firefighters, medical teams and rescue units who fought the bushfires at the start of 2020 were going to be given exclusive viewing spots on the foreshore to see the fireworks in gratitude for their efforts. That has been cancelled.
GNA