Confetti fluttered on to frontline workers scattered across Times Square after fireworks burst above eerily quiet landmarks from Sydney Harbour Bridge to Copacabana beach, as the world ushered in the New Year with muted celebrations and said good riddance to a pandemic-ridden 2020.

After a grinding year that has seen at least 1.8 million people die from Covid-19, fresh waves of infection have sparked renewed lockdowns and forced would-be revellers to extend their 2020 tradition of watching events from the sofa.

In New York's famous Times Square, the usual overflow crowd was replaced with a group of specially invited frontline workers, separated by barricades to enforce social distancing.

In Brazil, where 195,000 people have died of Covid-19, the second-highest death toll, Rio de Janeiro blocked the usual swarms of revelers from gathering on Copacabana beach.

That did not stop people from lighting up the city's iconic skyline with amateur fireworks of their own.

In New Zealand, which has won plaudits for its handling of the coronavirus, large crowds gathered in Auckland for a fireworks display.

In Australia's largest city, Sydney, fireworks lit up the glittering harbor with a dazzling display, but few spectators watched in person.

Some Hong Kongers, despite restrictions, ventured out to mark the start of the year, gathering on the Victoria Harbour waterfront to take selfies.

In Tokyo, where residents face the prospect of a state of emergency after infections touched new highs, people queued in face masks to offer New Year prayers.

Italy, where shocking images of makeshift morgues and exhausted medics awoke the world to the severity of the crisis, is on a nationwide lockdown until January 7 with a 10 pm (2100GMT) curfew in place.

Paris featured socially distanced gatherings, with a virtual concert and light show in the French capital.

In London, a few dozen revelers arrived in Parliament Square to watch Big Ben chime at 11:00 PM, marking the moment that Brexit finally became a reality, with Britain severing its turbulent half-century partnership with Europe.