New Year’s Eve fireworks went off as planned in Sydney, Australia, Friday even though parts of the country are experiencing record numbers of the highly contagious omicron variant of the coronavirus.

In the U.S, medical professionals are warning would-be revelers that as omicron surges, now is not the time to be in big crowds.

Dr. Jonathan Reiner, George Washington University professor of medicine and surgery told CNN, “I think that right now we’re in the public health crisis of our lifetimes.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, has urged people to avoid crowded situations this New Year’s and opt instead to attend small gatherings of vaccinated family and friends.

The U.S. reported 580,000 new COVID-19 cases Thursday, according to a New York Times database, surpassing Wednesday’s total of 488,000 new infections.

The outbreak has caused U.S. airlines to cancel thousands of flights, leaving many travelers stranded. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a dire warning that cruises should be avoided, following an outbreak on a number of vessels.

The omicron surge prompted Israel Thursday to approve a fourth dose of the COVID vaccine, targeted at people with weakened immune systems, the elderly and health care workers.

Prof. Nachman Ash, the director-general of Israel’s Ministry of Health, said the country is “acting cautiously and responsibly.”

Meanwhile, South Africa, the country where Omicron was first detected, has ended a nightly curfew.

A statement from a special cabinet meeting Thursday said indicators in South Africa suggest “the country may have passed the peak of the fourth wave at a national level.”

The statement also said, “While the omicron variant is highly transmissible, there has been lower rates of hospitalization than in previous waves.”

Source: Voice of America