Masks, capped capacity for New Year's Eve in Times Square

New Year’s Eve in Times Square keeps getting less and less like auld lang syne.

Revelers must now wear face masks when attending the Times Square ball-drop ceremony outdoors, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office said Thursday, announcing new restrictions as the omicron variant drives New York City’s coronavirus infections to record highs.

To enforce social distancing, the ordinary capacity of designated viewing areas will also be cut by nearly 75% — to 15,000 revelers instead of 58,000 — and attendees won’t be allowed in until 3 p.m., "much later than past years," the office said in a news release.

"These additional safety measures will keep revelers safe and healthy as they ring in the New Year," the news release said.

De Blasio last month announced that the Times Square ball drop — canceled for 2020 into 2021, after nearly 114 years, due to the raging coronavirus pandemic — was "coming back full strength," albeit with a full-vaccination mandate.

Last week, de Blasio said that he didn’t plan to cancel the celebration this year, but in the past few days said that plans were being tweaked as coronavirus cases rose.

He has said his decision not to cancel the ceremony again is due to outdoor transmission being rare.

Symptoms of the variant, which is extra contagious, are typically mild, and the spike hasn’t corresponded with an overwhelming of the hospitals, as happened during prior peaks.

Before being allowed into Times Square, vaccine proof and corresponding ID will be inspected at checkpoints where, as in prior years, revelers are also searched for weapons and other contraband.

Acceptable vaccination includes any recognized by the World Health Organization — not just Pfizer-BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson and Moderna, the three approved for use in the United States, but also AstraZeneca/Oxford, Sinopharm or Sinovac, which are common abroad.

"We want to welcome all those hundreds of thousands of folks, but everyone needs to be vaccinated," de Blasio said last month. "All you need to do is have that proof of vaccination and a valid photo ID, and you are in. Join the crowd. Join the joy. Join a historic moment as New York City."

(It’s unclear what "hundreds of thousands" de Blasio was referring to, since the news release cited past attendance as being 58,000 in the viewing areas. His office didn’t immediately respond to a message seeking clarification.)

Those older than age 5 who can’t be vaccinated for medical or other reasons must show proof of the exception, plus a negative coronavirus PCR test taken within the prior 72 hours.

Those younger than 5, who cannot be vaccinated under the law, must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult.

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.