Hong Kong Welcomes In 2021 In Muted Fashion

Hong Kong has welcomed in the New Year but with the pandemic putting a dampener on celebrations. There was no firework display at midnight and there'll be no New Year Parade.

Nevertheless, the Hong Kong Tourism Board still made an effort. It ran a New Year Countdown online with computer-generated fireworks.

The streets were also relatively quiet due to social-distancing measures.

The government had called on people not to gather over the holidays to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Although Hong Kong has escaped the pandemic relatively lightly, the current wave of infections is proving difficult to get under control, even though stricter controls and increased testing have been put in place.

On New Year's Eve, Hong Kong reported 68 new coronavirus cases, 14 more than the previous day. The death toll so far from the disease stands at over 140.