Saturday Night Live announced it would not have a live audience for its final broadcast of the year Saturday, citing the Omicron surge fueling COVID cases in New York City. It will also have a limited cast and crew for the Paul Rudd-Charli XCX episode. “The show continues to follow all government safety guidelines in addition to a rigorous testing protocol,” it wrote in a tweet. Charli XCX also said she was forced to cancel her live performance due to the circumstances, saying in a statement on Twitter that she was “devastated and heartbroken” to do so. New York City is experiencing a massive surge in COVID cases, breaking a record on Thursday for the most daily reported cases. It’s forced some restaurants and Broadway productions to shut down, and has led Mayor Bill de Blasio to consider downsizing the city’s famous Times Square New Year’s Eve celebration.
