As NYC considers downsizing New Year’s Eve, a year of IRL events hangs in the balance

Hold the party horns… This week NYC officials are debating new restrictions for its famous Times Square celebration as Omicron cases spike. At this writing, NYC’s NYE party will require vaccination but not masks or boosters.

• NYC’s vax rate is higher than the national average, but its Omicron cases also doubled last week. Mayor Bill de Blasio said new NYE restrictions, like mask mandates, will be announced by Xmas.
• Big events across the city, from Broadway shows to holiday concerts and NBA games, were also canceled last week because of Omicron.

Bigger than the Big Apple… NYC planners aren’t the only ones considering last-minute changes to curb Omicron’s spread. Event organizers and travelers worldwide have debated whether to cancel plans:

• IRL work: Two-thirds of companies, including Apple, Ford, and Google, have postponed office returns.
• Holiday travel was split: Domestic travel appears to be mostly unaffected, while international travelers are canceling plans because of new restrictions in countries like France and the Netherlands, which has entered a full lockdown until mid-January.
• Large events are also mixed: January’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, has been postponed, though next month’s CES event in Vegas is still on.