Edmonton has cancelled its New Year’s Eve fireworks show, citing the increased number of Omicron COVID-19 cases in the province.

“The severity of the Omicron variant is not yet known, but it is clear that there is an increased risk of transmission,” the City said in a news release.

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“Out of an abundance of caution, and in an effort to protect Edmontonians from this virus, the City’s New Year’s Eve fireworks show has been cancelled.”

Plans for the fireworks were announced last week, and they were set to be the first NYE fireworks since 2019. The Edmonton fireworks show in 2020 was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, the Alberta government also announced changes to its public health measures, impacting large-scale events as well as restaurants and bars.

The province also reported more than 500 new cases of the Omicron COVID-19 variant on Tuesday, pushing confirmed cases past the 1,600 mark in the province.