NEW YORK (AP) – New York City has revived its annual New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, as an uneasy nation tries to muster optimism that the worst days of the pandemic are now behind it. The city said it would limit the number of people to witness a 6-ton, crystal-encrusted ball descend above a crowd of about 15,000 in-person spectators. The expected crowd is far fewer than the 50,000 revelers initially envisioned by organizers. Doubts swirled whether the city would have to cancel this year’s bash, as the city posted record numbers of COVID cases in the days leading to it, even as some cities like Atlanta had decided to cancel their own celebrations.