De Blasio said, "We want the world to see that we are moving forward" on NBC's Today show.
Officials in the city had previously banned revelers from Times Square a few years ago because of the pandemic. They also announced plans to hold a smaller New Year's party with fewer people and required vaccinations.
Atlanta and other cities have cancelled New Year's Eve celebrations. However, de Blasio stated that New York City's high COVID-19 vaccine rate makes it possible to host masked, socially distant crowds to see the ball drop in Times Square. "We have to send a message out to the world. He said that New York City was open.
New COVID-19 cases have increased to over 265,000 per hour, thanks to the highly contagious Omicron variant. According to New York state statistics, New York City had a record number (over 39,590) of confirmed cases on Tuesday.
De Blasio stated that the solution is to "double down" on vaccinations and pointed out that 91% New York City adults have had at least one COVID-19 dose.
Eric Adams, the city's next mayor will take the oath in Times Square on Saturday. Adams, a Democrat, like de Blasio was planning a news conference to discuss his pandemic plans.
