The City of Kigali has canceled activities related to displaying fireworks on New Year’s Eve, as had been planned.

Previously, the city had announced that fireworks would be launched at five sites in Kigali, namely Amahoro Stadium, Bumbogo Hill, Radisson Blu Hotel and Convention Centre, Kigali Marriott Hotel and Mont Kigali.

However, the city made a u-turn on the decision in a communique issued on Thursday, December 30, halting these activities, owing to the latest spike in Covid-19 cases.

"Considering the on-going preventive measures of Covid-19 whose figures are increasing daily, the fireworks displaying activities are suspended in all allocated sites,” reads the statement from the City Hall.

The recent spike in Covid-19 cases mainly driven by the new variant called Omicron, which is highly contagious, prompted the government to institute new Covid-19 measures including extending curfew hours to 10PM.

All attendants of large gatherings in markets, restaurants, bars and places of worship are mandated to get fully vaccinated.

Fireworks displays were also canceled last year, due to the spike of Covid-19 cases at the end of the year.

In recent years, fireworks have been drawing large gatherings around Kigali as thousands of its residents welcomed the new year.