EDITORIAL
OUT WITH
A BANG
The surest sign yet of New York’s recovery
from COVID-19 is now scheduled to take
place on Dec. 31, when Times Square again
hosts a raucous New Year’s Eve celebration
for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers.
It’s a return to the good old pre-pandemic days,
even as the fight against this deadly virus continues.
Vaccinations and other measures have brought
the health crisis under control and enabled the city
to begin resuming the kind of big events for which
we’re famous.
This new year’s party will not be thrown without
precautions taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19,
Mayor Bill de Blasio said. Every reveler will need
to provide proof of full vaccination; anyone with a
medical disability that precludes them from being
vaccinated must provide proof of a negative COVID
19 test taken 72 hours or less before the event.
Ironically, the announcement comes a day after
Health Commissioner Dr. Dave Chokshi recommended
that every New Yorker already vaccinated against
COVID-19 six months ago or longer should also get a
booster shot if they haven’t already done so.
More than 600,000 vaccinated New Yorkers have
made that choice, and it might be particularly wise
for any individual who got their vaccines more than
six months ago and wants to party in Times Square
to follow Chokshi’s advice and get a booster before
the big day.
Without a doubt, Times Square’s New Year’s Eve
party will be the biggest test yet of the city’s vaccination
program. There’s tremendous hope and confidence
that it will not be a super-spreader event because
of the vaccination requirements, and because
the festivities are held outside.
Still, with hundreds of thousands of people
packed into the “Crossroads of the World” for hours
on end, the risk remains. But the risk itself shouldn’t
stop any vaccinated individual who wants to party
down in Times Square from doing so this New Year’s
Eve. New Year’s is a time for reflection and celebration.
Considering how far New York has come from
this point last year to now, we deserve a moment to
celebrate indeed.
We deserve to end this year of accomplishment
with a bang, rather than the socially distanced
whimper heard at the end of 2020.
But let’s remember to celebrate safely.
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TIMESLEDGER | Q 12 NS.COM | NOV. 26 - DEC. 2, 2021
Revelers watch the performance from their social distanced pods in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31,
2020. Gary Hershorn/Pool via REUTERS
THANKING THOSE WHO DONATED
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St. Anastasia Knights of Columbus Council
#5911, held a blood drive at St. Anastasia Parish
Center in Douglaston on Nov. 14. Forty
people donated blood.
I would also like to mention that we have a shortage
of available blood and in the New York area, we
need 2,000 pints of blood daily. As reported by the
New York Blood Center, we are currently below
that and need more donors to step forward. Now I
would like to thank the members of St. Anastasia
Parish and the those in the surrounding communities
in Queens for donating the gift of life. Also
I would also like to thank the Rev. David Dettmer
of St. Anastasia for allowing us to have this blood
drive. I would also like to thank the Boy Scouts of
St. Anastasia Troop # 153 whose help was immeasurable.
Now for that I say, thank you very much.
Frederick R. Bedell Jr.,
Bellerose
/NS.COM
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