Expo 2020 Dubai to host New Year’s Eve spectacular despite COVID-19 concerns

Expo 2020 Dubai to host New Year’s Eve spectacular despite COVID-19 concerns

Organizers at Expo 2020 Dubai have announced they will ring in 2022 will a large-scale spectacular – despite scaling back some activities at the site amid rising numbers of COVID-19.

Expo – the largest major global event to be held since the start of the pandemic – has announced a line-up of activities at the site on December 31 including a music festival front-lined by two DJs, two fireworks displays and a midnight ‘ball drop’ at al-Wasl Plaza.

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Organizers say the celebrations will be held against “a backdrop of extensive safety measures that will ensure an unforgettable New Year’s Eve”, according to a statement on its website.

It comes as Expo organizers suspended some activities that require close or direct contact as a precaution against the latest COVID-19 developments in the UAE, state news agency WAM reported on Monday.

COVID-19 cases in the UAE continued to climb on Wednesday, with officials reporting another 665 cases in the previous 24 hours.

The figures reflect a 47 percent rise on Tuesday’s figures of 452 cases and a 120 percent rise from Monday’s figures of 301 cases.

Some of the suspended activities at Expo include