They remember when the wooden easels used to control crowds shattered against the crush of humanity; now interconnected aluminum barriers are used. They remember when corks popped out of champagne bottles caused some safety problems; that is, until 9/11, after which the restrictions ended the free flow of people and drinks.
They saw the numbers steadily growing, the crowds stretching to 59th Street and beyond. And the evening mood, said Chief Hughes, “reflects what the city is going through that year.”
This year will be small, restrained, mute. “A closed set,” he said. “A virtual event.”
Last year, when about a million people attended, these interconnected barriers stretched from 38th Street to 59th Street, and from Sixth Avenue to Eighth Avenue. This year, the barriers will run only from streets 41 to 49, and the few who receive entry into the stage area should be tested negative for the virus.
Typically, several thousand police officers work at night, an assignment chosen because they can interact with people from around the world in an atmosphere of joy. This year, there will be an 80% reduction in the police complement, which still means many hundreds of police working to keep people safe – and out of them.
“What will happen at midnight?” Asked Assistant Chief Hughes. “At midnight, everyone kisses. What are we going to do? Fist bump?”
The touch of grace for the night, however, is in the invitation for a few dozen frontline workers and their families. Among them was Ms. Erb, 44, a clinical research nurse who, in recent months, helped oversee Pfizer vaccine testing at the NYU Langone Vaccine Center.