Nations across the world welcomed 2022 amid the Omicron variant of the COVID-19 which is rallying infections and raising hospitalizations in a large number of countries. A large number of people gathered at Times Square in New York, port of Valparaiso in Chile, in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro, Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, Musashi-Mitake Shrine in Ome city of Tokyo to watch first sunrise of 2022.
![People watch fireworks at the port of Valparaiso on the coast of Chile during New Year celebrations on January 1, 2022.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/433d4a8a-bd2f-47a0-b98b-f482d88645cc/0101_20220101042543_chile_new_year_afp_9vf4hk.jpg)
People watch fireworks at the port of Valparaiso on the coast of Chile during New Year celebrations on January 1, 2022. | (Photo by JAVIER TORRES / AFP)
![People gather during New Years Eve celebrations at Times Square in New York City on December 31, 2021.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/88c864c3-9f1d-479f-8c0f-8c5c62fbc590/0101_20220101042055_us_new_year_afp_9vf4hw.jpg)
People gather during New Years Eve celebrations at Times Square in New York City on December 31, 2021. | (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)
![Fireworks go off one hour before midnight during New Years Eve celebrations at Times Square in New York City on December 31, 2021.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/0b583f57-ed20-4c08-8d1f-5bae6c81b9f0/0101_20220101042030_us_new_year_afp_9vf4hx__1_.jpg)
Fireworks go off one hour before midnight during New Years Eve celebrations at Times Square in New York City on December 31, 2021. | (Photo by Yuki IWAMURA / AFP)
![People enjoy the sunny afternoon on New Years Eve in a Los Angeles park with a view of the downtown skyline, December 31, 2021.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/783e4e0d-cc2b-45d2-9e40-913f0fbf53c2/0101_20220101041900_us_new_year_afp_9vf4hl.jpg)
People enjoy the sunny afternoon on New Years Eve in a Los Angeles park with a view of the downtown skyline, December 31, 2021. | (Photo by Chris DELMAS / AFP)
![People gather at a seaside park to watch the sunrise on New Years Day in Tokyo on January 1, 2022.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/3ce5c867-7304-4f9c-8bf7-8a183d4e0d76/0101_20220101035550_japan_new_year_afp_9vf4kj.jpg)
People gather at a seaside park to watch the sunrise on New Years Day in Tokyo on January 1, 2022. | (Photo by Kazuhiro NOGI / AFP)
![Fireworks go off on Copacabana beach to mark the New Year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 1, 2022.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/eff06897-bcf3-4d0f-8ee7-53241d2dac93/0101_20220101035509_brazil_new_year_afp_9vf4al.jpg)
Fireworks go off on Copacabana beach to mark the New Year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on January 1, 2022. | (Photo by DANIEL RAMALHO / AFP)
![People gather to watch the sunrise on New Years Day at Musashi-Mitake Shrine in Ome city of Tokyo on January 1, 2022.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/871673cd-8a01-426e-9522-9b1f95c4f1c2/0101_20220101034806_japan_new_year_afp_9vf4k6.jpg)
People gather to watch the sunrise on New Years Day at Musashi-Mitake Shrine in Ome city of Tokyo on January 1, 2022. | (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP)
![People gather to watch a firework display to celebrate the new year on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on January 1, 2022.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/1b5970b8-8748-4bf5-94d5-ef55d56d8933/0101_20220101032329_nkorea_lifestyle_afp_9vf49u.jpg)
People gather to watch a firework display to celebrate the new year on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang on January 1, 2022. | (Photo by KIM Won Jin / AFP)
![People watch as performers take part in a new year performance on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang late on December 31, 2021.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/04c18519-843c-4fa5-b476-944e0c1dfec7/0101_20220101032120_nkorea_lifestyle_afp_9vf49n.jpg)
People watch as performers take part in a new year performance on Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang late on December 31, 2021. | (Photo by KIM Won Jin / AFP)
![A man dances near the water on New Years Eve at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on December 31, 2021.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/059351aa-af94-4548-9873-997e3316b400/0101_20220101024831_brazil_new_year_afp_9vf487.jpg)
A man dances near the water on New Years Eve at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on December 31, 2021. | (Photo by DANIEL RAMALHO / AFP)
![People celebrate New Years Eve on the Puerta Del Sol square in Madrid, on December 31, 2021.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/c94228b2-3b2b-4a5e-884c-fdd2eba4e5cd/0101_20220101013551_spain_new_year_afp_9vf44c.jpg)
People celebrate New Years Eve on the Puerta Del Sol square in Madrid, on December 31, 2021. | (Photo by Rebeca MAYORGA / AFP)
![Fireworks are seen early on New Years day in front of the Alps mountains Northern Range (Nordkette) near Innsbruck, Austria, early on January 1, 2022.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/d346649c-8129-40f1-81b3-423cecd708a7/0101_20220101010407_austria_new_year_fireworks_afp_9vf3xv.jpg)
Fireworks are seen early on New Years day in front of the Alps mountains Northern Range (Nordkette) near Innsbruck, Austria, early on January 1, 2022. | (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)
![A couple kisses on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris early on New Years day, January 1, 2022.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/c3e634ae-ab37-498c-9b71-5954de33de09/0101_20220101004943_france_new_year_afp_9vf3x9.jpg)
A couple kisses on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris early on New Years day, January 1, 2022. | (Photo by Martin BUREAU / AFP)
![A laser display is seen above the Millennium Bridge with St Pauls Cathedral behind, an alternative to the usual New Years fireworks display, in central London just after midnight on January 1, 2022](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/34661cb8-8549-4152-8178-e08cb1aeb9d1/0101_20220101001338_britain_new_year_fireworks_afp_9vf3ra.jpg)
A laser display is seen above the Millennium Bridge with St Pauls Cathedral behind, an alternative to the usual New Years fireworks display, in central London just after midnight on January 1, 2022 | (Photo by Hollie Adams / AFP)
![People hold a lit sparkler on New Years Eve outside the Colosseum in Rome on December 31, 2021.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/833cc076-0dc3-45c8-a52a-4b13b5244165/0101_20220101000707_italy_new_year_afp_9vf3nf.jpg)
People hold a lit sparkler on New Years Eve outside the Colosseum in Rome on December 31, 2021. | (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)
![Palestinian people celebrate New Years Eve at Unknown Soldier Square, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Gaza City, on January 1, 2022.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/f9eef393-3be9-4c2b-a5bb-9c895d8ad095/0101_20220101000255_palestinian_new_year_afp_9vf3nn.jpg)
Palestinian people celebrate New Years Eve at Unknown Soldier Square, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Gaza City, on January 1, 2022. | (Photo by MOHAMMED ABED / AFP)
![Fireworks explode at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to celebrate the New Year on January 1, 2022.](https://media.assettype.com/freepressjournal/2022-01/7a6663d0-3583-4674-bf49-8bf7dcd0585d/0101_20211231232355_germany_new_year_afp_9vf3lw.jpg)
Fireworks explode at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin to celebrate the New Year on January 1, 2022. | (Photo by John MACDOUGALL / AFP)