New York city to allow revellers to attend New Year's Eve celebrations
November 17, 2021, 6:03 am

New York city to allow revellers to attend New Year's Eve celebrations

USA-Nashville-New year's eve/Pixabay

The BBC reported, New York city's mayor has confirmed that revellers will be allowed to attend this year's New Year's Eve celebrations in New York's Times Square.

It mentioned that the event was closed to spectators last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

It said that people wanting to see the ball drop this year will have to show proof of full vaccination or a negative Covid test if exempt.

The ball drop signifies the start of the New Year with hundreds of thousands of people usually turning up to watch.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said: "We can finally get back together again. It's going to be amazing, it's going to be a joy for this city."

New year festival-Fireworks/Pixabay

He added that he had been working with the Department of Health and New York Police Department "to get this right".

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People over the age of five will need to bring photo ID along with their proof of vaccination in order to gain access to Times Square.

Children under five-years-old will have to be accompanied by a vaccinated adult. Head of the Times Square Alliance, Tom Harris said, those who are unvaccinated will have to wear a mask.

People have been celebrating New Year's Eve in Times Square since 1904. But last year, celebrations were muted after the Centers for Disease Control urged people to avoid gatherings.

Only a few health workers were allowed into the square to watch and they were placed in socially distanced pods.

The US has recorded the highest number of Covid cases in the world, with 2.1 million recorded since the pandemic began. More than 765,000 people there have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

Source: BBC

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has announced its sponsorship of the “Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition (GU - IST Solutions), hosted by Gulf University at its main campus.
This strategic sponsorship reflects BENEFIT’s active role in advancing technological innovation and fostering sustainable solutions to future challenges. It also seeks to empower Bahraini youth by enhancing their skills, capabilities, and competitiveness in innovation and solution development—contributing meaningfully to the broader goals of sustainable development across all sectors.
As part of BENEFIT’s active involvement in the competition, the company has announced that Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication, will serve on the competition’s supervisory committee. Her upcoming participation reflects BENEFIT’s forward-looking commitment to championing academic and professional excellence.
Commenting on the occasion, Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager of Public Relations and Communication at BENEFIT, said, “We are privileged to support this pioneering initiative, which aligns seamlessly with BENEFIT’s enduring commitment to fostering innovation and nurturing the potential of Bahrain’s youth. Our participation is rooted in a deep sense of social responsibility and a firm belief in the pivotal role of innovation in shaping a sustainable future. Through such platforms, we seek to empower the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and foresight required to develop impactful solutions that address future challenges, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030.”
Dr. Aseel Al Ayash Dean of the College of Engineering in Gulf University commented, “We extend our sincere gratitude to BENEFIT for their generous sponsorship and support of the Innovation and Sustainable Technology Solutions Competition. This contribution plays an instrumental role in helping us achieve the strategic goals of this initiative, namely, cultivating a culture of innovation and sustainability, encouraging efforts that address the imperatives of sustainable development, and enhancing the practical and professional capabilities of our students and participants.”
The event will bring together a diverse spectrum of participants, including secondary school students, university undergraduates, engineers, industry professionals, entrepreneurs, academic researchers, and subject matter experts representing a wide range of disciplines.
The competition seeks to inspire participants to develop and present innovative, sustainable technologies aimed at addressing pressing environmental, social, and economic challenges. It encourages the formulation of business models that integrate advanced technological solutions with core principles of sustainability. Moreover, it serves as a platform for emerging leaders, entrepreneurs, and innovators to contribute to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promote the ethos of responsible technology, and demonstrate its transformative potential across various sectors.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view a series of project presentations submitted by participants, covering diverse areas such as eco-friendly product design, smart and sustainable innovations, renewable energy technologies, water conservation and management, waste minimisation and recycling, green architectural solutions, and sustainable transportation systems. Outstanding projects will be formally recognised and awarded at the conclusion of the event.