Paris cancels New Year fireworks over Omicron fears

Paris on Saturday said it was cancelling its traditional New Year fireworks as Europe braced for tighter curbs to rein in the spread of the new strain of the coronavirus fuelling a resurgence in Covid-19 cases worldwide.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen has warned the Omicron coronavirus variant could be dominant in Europe by mid-January.

Many countries have decided to reintroduce travel restrictions and other containment measures since it was first detected in South Africa last month.

“With regard to the acceleration of the pandemic, and the risks related to the end-of-year festivities, authorities should impose significant restrictions,” France’s scientific panel said.

And Paris municipal authorities announced “with regret that we will have to cancel all the festivities planned on the Champs Elysees on December 31.

“The fireworks will not take place, nor unfortunately will there be any DJ sets,” the mayor’s office told PMC.