A fireworks show over London's famous clock tower and other landmarks had been cancelled in October due to COVID-19 restrictions, but was revived hours before midnight with an advisory to stay home and watch on television.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan told Sky News that he encouraged revellers to enjoy New Year's in a "sensible and cautious way" by watching the London show on TV.

Earlier, Britain published a study of a million cases that found those with Omicron were around a third as likely to need hospitalisation as those with the previously dominant Delta variant.