New Year's Rose Parade marches on despite COVID-19 surge

PASADENA, Calif. – A twelvemonth aft New Year's Day passed without a Rose Parade owed to the coronavirus pandemic, marching bands and floral floats took to the streets again to observe the accomplishment of 2022 contempt a caller surge of infections owed to the omicron variant.

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

After days of record-smashing rains, determination were sunny skies for the 8 a.m. commencement of the spectacle, which has an uncanny past of postcard weather.

LeAnn Rimes kicked disconnected the lawsuit with a show of “Throw My Arms Around the World” followed by a subject flyover of a B-2 stealth bomber.

Among the fanciful floats was the futuristic-themed “Vaccinate Our World” introduction by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation with a robot caregiver clutching a syringe. The colorful “Rise, Shine and Read!" interval by the UPS Store featured a bespectacled rooster speechmaking to a radical of chicks.

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“American Idol” victor Laine Hardy performed aboard Louisiana's “Feed Your Soul” float. For the expansive finale, the US Army Golden Knights parachute squad landed on the parade way and state performer Jimmie Allen sang “Good Times Roll."

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.

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The assemblage was smaller than successful erstwhile years, but the parade inactive drew thousands of fans on its 5.5-mile (8.8-kilometer) route. Many camped retired connected sidewalks overnight, staking retired their spots successful the day 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. Many attendees wore look coverings, arsenic did Rose Parade Queen Nadia Chung and her court.

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

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