The holiday light exhibits in Golden Gate Park will be shut off and several parking lots will be closed Thursday in the interest of discouraging crowds and risking the spread of COVID-19 on New Year's Eve, the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department announced.
“Millions of healthcare workers are fighting each day to keep Americans alive and will continue to do so in 2021," the department said in an announcement. "To honor our healthcare heroes, as well as those lost in the past year, we will be turning off all of the holiday light exhibits in Golden Gate Park on New Year's Eve."
The popular fireworks show on the bay also has been canceled, and police will be patrolling areas where people generally gather, officials said.
The parks department said that on Thursday it would also close the Ocean Beach parking lot at 5 a.m., and the Marina Green and Stern Grove parking lots at 6 p.m. The lots will reopen at 5 a.m. Friday.
The gates to Twin Peaks off of Burnett Avenue and off of Portola Drive will also remain closed to vehicle traffic Thursday evening and reopen at 6 p.m. Friday.
SFPD is monitoring social media for events that would violate COVID-19 restrictions and has joined cities such as San Jose and Redwood City in reminding people fireworks and celebratory gunfire are illegal.
