A historic New Year's Eve celebration will ring out from the crossroads of the world with a scaled down crowd later today due to the massive spike in COVID-19 cases across our state.

COVID numbers are rising up as people get ready to watch the ball drop in Times Square. Those preparations are underway as New York City will ring in the new year with a scaled back extravaganza.

Times Square will only see a crowd of about 15,000 people compared to the nearly 60,000 that Times Square can accommodate. Masks and vaccinations are required to see the ball drop in person this year. Although the party may be a bit smaller, for many, they're happy the celebrations are here.

The state reported over 74,000 new cases for Thursday with the positivity rate jumping 10% in just a week. The 7-day average COVID positivity rate in the Bronx is now at 23.48%. In Brooklyn, that number is just over 19.3%.

For those planning on going to Times Square, a mask must be worn and no one will be let in until 3 p.m. Friday.