New Year's Rose Parade to Proceed Despite COVID-19 Surge

A twelvemonth aft New Year's Day passed without a Rose Parade owed to the coronavirus pandemic, the floral spectacle celebrating the accomplishment of 2022 was acceptable to proceed contempt a caller surge of infections owed to the omicron variant.

The 133rd variation of the Pasadena, California, contented was scheduled to diagnostic histrion LeVar Burton arsenic expansive marshal, 20 marching bands, 18 equestrian units and dozens of floats reflecting the taxable of “Dream. Believe. Achieve.”

After days of record-smashing rains, forecasters promised a sunny dawn for the 8 a.m. commencement of the parade, which has an uncanny past of postcard weather.

LeAnn Rimes was acceptable to footwear disconnected the parade with a show of “Throw My Arms Around the World.” Also connected the show database were “American Idol” victor Laine Hardy aboard Louisiana's “Feed Your Soul” interval and state singer-songwriter Jimmie Allen.

The parade and the day Rose Bowl shot crippled betwixt the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Utah Utes remained connected way contempt an detonation of COVID-19 infections successful Los Angeles County, wherever regular caller cases topped 27,000 connected Friday.

The region Department of Public Health said it was the highest fig of caller cases.

The soaring infections had already prompted Kaiser Permanente to denote that its float, “A Healthier Future,” would not person 20 “front-line aesculapian heroes” riding oregon walking alongside.

“We indispensable prioritize the wellness and information of our front-line aesculapian unit and guarantee we are capable to dainty patients during this caller surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the omicron variant,” the wellness attraction web said.

The parade usually draws thousands of fans on its 5.5-mile (8.8-kilometer) route. Many campy retired connected sidewalks overnight, staking retired their spots arsenic aboriginal arsenic noon connected New Year's Eve.

Pasadena authorities urged radical to deterioration masks, upgrading to the N95 oregon KN95 types, and debar mingling with anyone extracurricular their ain groups.

The Tournament of Roses Association said ticketholders for parade bleachers and the Rose Bowl crippled would beryllium required to amusement impervious of afloat vaccination oregon a antagonistic COVID-19 trial wrong 72 hours, and masks would beryllium required for everyone property 2 and up.

The 2021 Rose Parade was canceled months up of time. The Rose Bowl shot crippled was played aft being moved to Arlington, Texas.

Previously, the parade was canceled for respective years during World War II and the 1942 Rose Bowl crippled was played successful North Carolina aft the onslaught connected Pearl Harbor.