Photos show Lunar New Year celebrations with caution amid an ongoing pandemic

An immediate family from a distance virtually join a family reunion dinner via a phone call on the eve of the lunar new year at home on February 11, 2021 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Annice Lyn/Getty Images

• Families opt for distanced or virtual celebrations amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
• Limited public festivities continued to take place with health safety precautions in mind.
• Here's what celebrating one of the most important holidays in the Chinese culture looks like amid the pandemic.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to keep the world indoors, families are forced to ring in the Year of the Ox with health safety in mind.

Last year at the onset of the pandemic, China imposed a strict lockdown to stem the spread of the coronavirus, shutting down the Lunar New Year festivities just days before they were scheduled to take place. Now, a year later, in-person celebrations in China were canceled amid recent surges in infections in parts of the country.

The Lunar New Year marks the end of the Chinese calendar and celebrated among the Chinese cultural sphere in various countries. Residents in other countries observing the Lunar New Year, including Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, are also proceeding with the festivities in caution, wearing face masks when visiting temples - which are subsequently doused with disinfectant to prevent any potential spread of the coronavirus.

Here's what celebrating one of the most important cultural holidays in the Chinese culture looks like amid the pandemic: