For the second year in a row, the City of London has cancelled the annual New Year's Eve festivities held in Victoria Park due to COVID-19 concerns.
The city announced Tuesday that it will not be moving forward with the event due to the increasing rate of spread of the Omicron variant. City officials said the decision was made in consultation with the region's Acting Medical Officer of Health Dr. Alex Summers.
"In the interest of public health and safety and to do our part to limit the spread of COVID-19, we are not able to do [the celebration]," read a statement from the City of London. "We know that this will be disappointing news for many. Our hope is that we will be able to meet in person again in 2022."
In less than a month, daily COVID-19 numbers have soared with active case counts hitting highs not seen since the early spring. Similar trends have also been observed in other parts of Ontario. Last week, the province announced enhanced public health guidelines including smaller indoor gathering sizes.
With less than a week until Christmas, the city's public health officials have urged Londoners to do their part this holiday season and keep the gatherings small.
"This year, our wish is that Londoners celebrate New Year's Eve safely, and that we welcome 2022 with a feeling of hope and possibility for the year ahead," the release from the city added.
London-Middlesex recorded 169 new positive COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, total case counts in the area since the pandemic began now stands at 16,264.
