Hong Kong canceled its annual New Year’s fireworks display for 2021 on Friday in an attempt to contain the region’s recent outbreak of the Chinese coronavirus.
In a press release confirming arrangements for “upcoming mega-events,” the tourism board confirmed the need for “tightened social distancing measures to suppress the spread of COVID-19 [Chinese coronavirus] as a fourth wave of the pandemic hits the city.”
“Due to the need to uphold social distancing measures, there will be no fireworks display over Victoria Harbour for this year’s New Year Countdown,” the release stated.
As well as the fireworks display, other major events including the Hong Kong Winterfest and the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations have also been canceled and replaced with “virtual” celebrations and events.
The cancellation of events comes as the city’s Chinese-controlled executive imposes stricter lockdown measures to reduce the recent surge in cases. Hong Kong is currently reporting over 100 new infections every day.
Last week, the region’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, unveiled fresh measures including forcing civil servants to work from home, a 10 p.m. curfew on restaurants, and the closure entirely of karaoke lounges, amusement arcades, games rooms, and concert halls.
Education authorities also suspended all in-person classes until the new year at the earliest after at least 30 schools saw students or staff test positive for the virus, a move will inevitably inflict further damage on young people’s prospects.
All Hongkongers are now required to wear a mask in public, while the few businesses still allowed to operate such as beauty and massage parlors must display a “Leave Home” app QR code to ensure contact tracing. The measures also ban public gatherings, as the maximum number who can attend them will be two people.
In a measure likely inspired by the surveillance state of communist China, which now effectively controls Hong Kong’s politics in violation of the “One Country, Two Systems” agreement, Lam also announced the establishment of a “hotline” for citizens to alert authorities on neighbors they believe are violating coronavirus protocol.
2021 will mark the second consecutive year in which authorities have canceled the New Year fireworks display. Last year, both the New Year and Chinese New Year celebrations were canceled over supposed “safety concerns” as mass pro-democracy demonstrations took place across the city.
The most recent display took place as the city welcomed in 2019, where some 340,000 people gathered at spots around the city to watch the spectacular yet expensive ($1.8 million USD) show.