Though New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has promised there will be no more widespread COVID lockdowns, his office conceded Thursday that the city’s famous Times Square New Years Eve celebration will be “scaled back” as cases surge amid the Omicron outbreak. Only 15,000 revelers—as opposed to the typical 58,000—will be welcome to crowd into the midtown streets to see the ball drop. Masks, photo IDs, and proof of vaccination will be required. Incoming Mayor Eric Adams agreed that it was “the right move to take precautionary measures as we learn to live with COVID and fight the Omicron variant.”