New York City will welcome crowds back to Times Square this New Year’s Eve, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday, as long as they provide proof that they are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. After a pared-down celebration last year, the longtime tradition of the ball drop at midnight will return to the city “at full strength,” he said.

“We want to welcome all those hundreds of thousands of folks, but everyone needs to be vaccinated,” de Blasio said during a news conference. “Join the crowd, join the joy, join a historic moment as New York City provides further evidence to the world that we are 100% back.”