Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended greetings on the first day of 2022 on Saturday and expressed hope that the New Year will bring an abundance of joy and good health to everyone.
“Happy 2022! May this year bring abundance of joy and good health in everyone’s lives. May we keep scaling new heights of progress and prosperity, and work even harder to fulfil the dreams of our great freedom fighters,” PM Modi tweeted.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he is “resolutely optimistic for the coming year” for France, despite the upcoming few difficult weeks amid Covid-19 cases resurgence.
Speaking from the Elysee to the nation for New Year, Macron on Friday stressed the importance of vaccination against coronavirus.
“Vaccination is our most secure asset. It divides the number of severe forms by ten,” he added.
He urged the 5 million non-vaccinated French citizens to get vaccinated for themselves, for their compatriots and for their country.
The President also called on people, vaccinated or not, to continue to respect barrier gestures to curb the rapid spread of the virus, Xinhua news agency reported.
Acknowledging the essential role of health staff during the pandemic for the past two years, Macron said he is “optimistic” about a possible end of the pandemic in 2022.
Recalling 2021, the President said the government has introduced during the crisis various initiatives to protect spending power, as well as new projects for the young generation, environmental crisis, housing crisis etc.
Macron said 2022 will be a year of a European turning point as France is going to hold the presidency of the European Union.
He continued to say that 2022 will also be a decisive year for France.
“I will act until the last moment of the mandate for which you elected me,” said Macron. The Presidential election in France is scheduled for April 2022.
Billed as the longest New Year celebration in the world, spanning the time zones of all participating countries at the event, the Expo festivities will take place at various locations across the site over a 13-hour period, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Twelve international and Dubai-based DJs are lining up to give 2021 an exceptional send-off at Expo 2020 Dubai on New Year’s Eve tomorrow (31st December).
Headlined by the world-famous Armin van Buuren, the roster also includes DJ Skip, Kanika Kapoor, Anyasa and Dimitri Vegas, who will all be playing at the Jubilee Stage.
Then DJ Tala Samman, DJ Jeff, DJ Khaled Mamdouh and DJ Fat Sam can be found at Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre, with DJ Hannah Ichiko, DJ Fuzzz and DJ Daxx at the Sports, Fitness & Wellbeing Hub.
Billed as the longest New Year celebration in the world, spanning the time zones of all participating countries at the event, the Expo festivities will take place at various locations across the site over a 13-hour period.
First up at Jubilee Stage is Delhi-born DJ Skip, known for his performance-based sets and innovative scratching technique. He loves being able to express himself to the world through music – a language that everybody understands – and promises to get visitors moving early on.
Next is Bollywood playback singer Kanika Kapoor, performing hits such as Baby Doll and Chittiyaan Kalaiyaan, followed by Indian producer Anyasa, bringing his acclaimed live set to Dubai, and Dimitri Vegas from Belgium.
Finally, the king of trance, Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren, will channel the Jubilee Stage’s late night/early morning energy, rounding off proceedings from 0130-0400 GST with his trademark blend of uplifting, progressive and psychedelic trance, with electro house and dance-pop thrown in for good measure.
At Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre, meanwhile, DJ Tala Samman will get the party going with a mash-up of melodic and deep house, along with upbeat pop and hip-hop. Excited to be performing on such a huge platform, the Dubai-based DJ says Expo 2020 is the perfect place to “highlight the talent we have in this city”.
DJ Jeff, who originally hails from India but also calls Dubai home, will take over the reins with a blend of hip-hop and South Asian music. The producer, who commends Expo 2020 for providing opportunities to collaborate with artists from across the globe, said: “There’s no better feeling than performing at the biggest event in the world!”
Deep-house DJ Khaled Mamdouh will continue the good vibes at Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre, counting down to midnight, while DJ Fat Sam will usher in the New Year with a bang.
Ain Dubai to mark New Year with stunning year fireworks and drone shows & several performances across Bluewaters Dubai (Photo: Twitter@DXBMediaOffice)
At the Sports, Fitness & Wellbeing Hub, disc-spinners DJ Hannah Ichiko, DJ Fuzzz and DJ Daxx will also be inviting visitors to join in the countdown celebrations, with upbeat sets that strike a positive tone for 2022.
Entry to all of the New Year’s Eve DJ sets is free for Expo 2020 ticket holders, but visitors are advised to arrive early.
Public transport timings
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Expo 2020 Dubai have updated the timings of public transport services to and from the site on New Year’s Eve, to ensure visitors have an amazing experience ‘Celebrating with the World @ Expo’.
The Metro service on both the Red and Green lines will operate from 0800 on 31st December, 2021 until 0215 on 2nd January, 2022.
The Expo Rider service to Expo will run until 0630 on 1st January 2022, with the following exceptions: Dubai Mall route will be suspended from 1400 due to the closure of roads around Burj Khalifa; AlBraha,
AlGubaibah and DXB T3 routes will follow a diversion to avoid the E11 road closures; All inbound intercity routes will be suspended at 2000 on 31st December, 2021.
Global Village to host eight firework shows. (Photo: Twitter@DXBMediaOffice)
All inbound Dubai routes will also be suspended at 2200 on 31st December, 2021, while all outbound trips will be suspended from 2100 to 0000.
To get ahead of the large demand on Expo Rider services, passengers will be asked to state their preferred return journey time when they arrive, and will then receive a token with this time. Tokens will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.
Car parks and the Parking Shuttle will run until 0630 on 1st January, 2022. In the event that the demand for Parking Shuttle services exceeds supply, visitors may be required to walk back to their vehicles.
Meanwhile, the People Mover service will run until 0630 on 1st January, 2022.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson records a Covid-19 Christmas update statement. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
Prime Minister will urge people who are celebrating to exercise caution by taking a test, practicing good hygiene, and letting fresh air in, and to follow the COVID-19 guidance if they’re living in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hailed success of vaccine programme and heroic public response to booster campaign in New Year’s message.
Johnson will deliver his New Year’s message today where he will celebrate the achievements of the vaccination programme over the last year with over 7 in 10 eligible adults in England boosted so far – an increase of 8 million top up jabs (45%) since the target was brought forward on 12 December.
In his New Year’s message, he will announce UK has met the target to offer the chance to get a COVID-19 booster to every eligible adult and urge those who haven’t yet been jabbed to take up the offer of a booster, or their first or second dose.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson, with their daughter Romy, hold video calls from Chequers with Doctor Laura Mount, Director of Central and West Warrington, who leads a vaccination team, followed by Tom Jones, from Rickmansworth who attends RVS Rickmansworth lunch club and cares for his wife with Dementia. Picture by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street
The Prime Minister will also reflect on the achievements of the UK throughout the past year. The UK has had the fastest economic growth in the G7, record employment levels and massive global investments in the British tech sector this year.
The Prime Minister will also urge people who are celebrating to exercise caution by taking a test, practicing good hygiene, and letting fresh air in, and to follow the COVID-19 guidance if they’re living in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.
“Happy New Year. 2022 is almost upon us. And whatever the challenges that fate continues to throw in our way and whatever the anxieties we may have about the weeks and months ahead, particularly about omicron and the growing numbers in hospitals…we can say one thing with certainty – our position this December the 31st is incomparably better than last year,” Johnson will say.
“This country has the fastest economic growth in the G7. We have more people in work now than there were before the pandemic began. And if you want a sign of future growth – look at the massive global investment in British high tech. Almost £30 billion into the UK tech sector this year – twice as much tech investment as Germany, three times as much as France.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson records a Covid-19 Christmas update statement. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
“And there is one reason – one overriding reason – why the UK has been able to maintain the most open economy and society of any major European economy. And that is because the British people have responded heroically, voluntarily, and in almost incredible numbers to the call to get vaccinated.”
“And as I speak tonight on New Year’s Eve, we’ve met our target, we’ve doubled the speed of the booster roll out. And it’s precisely because of that huge national effort that we can celebrate tonight at all. Though I must of course urge everyone to be cautious and to take a test if you are going out and to remember the importance of ventilation. Follow the rules if you are in Scotland or Wales or Northern Ireland.”
“And I want to speak directly to all those who have yet to get fully vaccinated. The people who think the disease can’t hurt them – look at the people going into hospital now, that could be you. Look at the intensive care units and the miserable, needless suffering of those who did not get their booster, that could be you.”
“So, make it your New Year’s resolution – far easier than losing weight or keeping a diary – find a walk-in centre or make an online appointment. Get that jab and do something that will make 2022 a happy New Year for us all,” he added.
Photo shows a man walking out of the COVID-19 Vaccination Centre in Westminster Abbey in London, Britain. (Photo by Ray TangXinhua)
On 30 November, the government set out its ambition to offer all eligible adults the chance to get their booster by the end of January. This target was brought forward by the Prime Minister earlier this month in response to the emerging threat of the Omicron variant in order to protect the public as quickly as possible. Some eligible people may not yet have been able to receive their booster yet due to catching COVID-19.
The vaccination programme requires the majority of people infected with COVID-19 to wait 28 days following infection before receiving a vaccine. After the 28 days have passed, people are encouraged to book their booster as soon as they can. Those eligible for a booster vaccine who have delayed making an appointment because of other acute illnesses are also encouraged to book as soon as they are fully recovered.
The lightning spread of the new Omicron variant in the country has driven daily Covid-19 new cases to a record high of over 510,000, reports Asian Lite News
As the new Omicron Covid-19 variant is increasing single-day cases to the highest level in the country, major cities, including New York, have scaled-down or cancelled New Year’s Eve events for a second consecutive year.
The fuelling record surges has prompted government to “reinstate travel restrictions, mask mandates and bans on large gatherings”, The New York Times reported on Tuesday.
Fox News has cancelled “New Year’s Eve Toast & Roast 2022” live broadcast from Times Square, as the network said in a statement issued on Tuesday that “the recent velocity of the spread of Omicron cases has made it impossible to produce a live special in Times Square that meets our standards”.
The annual celebration in Times Square in New York will go on, with attendance capped at 15,000, nearly a quarter of the usual amount. Attendees will be required to wear masks and show proof of full vaccination.
In California, several Los Angeles County holiday events have been cancelled, including the New Year’s countdown in Grand Park, which will now be streamed.
The Space Needle’s fireworks show in Seattle will also be streamed. Over the past three weeks, as Omicron-related cases soared in New York City and elsewhere, the number of children hospitalised in New York with Covid-19 quadrupled.
The lightning spread of the new variant has driven daily Covid-19 new cases to a record high of over 510,000, which is the highest single-day increase of cases since the onset of the pandemic in the country, according to latest data of Johns Hopkins University.
The first known case of the Omicron variant in the US was identified on December 1. Since then, the variant has been detected in most US states and territories, and is rapidly increasing the proportion of Covid-19 cases it is causing.
The Omicron variant was estimated to account for 58.6 per cent of coronavirus variants circulating in the US for the week ending December 25, according to new data released Tuesday by the CDC.
Grim new record
The lightning spread of the new Omicron variant in the US has driven daily Covid-19 new cases to a record high of over 510,000.
It is the highest single-day increase of cases since the onset of the pandemic in the country, according to latest data of Johns Hopkins University.
A total of 512,553 new cases and 1,762 new deaths were reported across the country on Monday. Over the past week, nearly 1,660,000 new cases and over 10,000 new deaths were added to the tally, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The 7-day average daily increase of cases reached more than 206,000 on Sunday, according to latest data of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This is also the highest figure since January 18.
The Omicron variant, first identified late November in southern Africa, has sent infections soaring to levels not seen since last winter, bringing the total number of US coronavirus cases to more than 52.9 million, with more than 819,000 deaths.
The first known case of the Omicron variant in the US was identified on December 1. Since then, the variant has been detected in most US states and territories, and is rapidly increasing the proportion of Covid-19 cases it is causing.
The Omicron variant was estimated to account for 58.6 per cent of coronavirus variants circulating in the US for the week ending December 25, according to new data released Tuesday by the CDC.
According to the estimate, the prevalence of the Omicron variant had eclipsed that of the Delta variant, which accounted for 41.1 per cent of variants.
Omicron’s surge has prompted more cancellations in travel, sports and other events across the country.
Some states have seen hospitalisations peak amid Omicron surge. The number of children hospitalised with Covid-19 is also rising.
Covid-19 cases among US children are “extremely high and increasing,” according to a latest report of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Children’s Hospital Association.
Over 7.5 million children have tested positive for Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic in the US, representing 1 in 10 American children.
For the week ending December 23, nearly 199,000 child Covid-19 cases were reported, a 50 per cent increase over the weekly new cases in the beginning of December. This marked the 20th consecutive week child Covid-19 cases above 100,000.
Since the first week of September, there have been over 2.5 million additional child cases, according to the AAP.
COVID-19 testing sites across the US have seen unprecedented demand due to the surge in new infections.
