By Sri Ravipati
Good afternoon San Francisco. Welcome back to another daily roundup of local stories for Dec. 31.
400 people to attend SF Bay New Year's Eve yacht party, doctors fear it will be superspreader event
While many events in San Francisco are being canceled over fears of the COVID omicron variant spreading, a 400-person New Year's Eve yacht party is setting sail in San Francisco Bay and drawing concerns from health experts, ABC7 reports.
The event is $350 per ticket and includes four hours of sailing, dancing and an open bar.
UCSF infectious disease doctors predict the yacht party will be a superspreader event, even with proof of vaccination required. The CDC says large events are not advisable against omicron.
Read the full story on ABC 7.
Japantown's Benkyodo Company to close after 100 years
After more than 100 years, a beloved business in San Francisco's Japantown that makes traditional rice cakes will be closing in the new year, KPIX5 reports.
Claimed by many to make the Bay Area's best mochi, Benkyodo Company opened after the 1906 earthquake, becoming one of Japantown's first businesses.
The current owners hope someone will buy and take over the business, otherwise, they will close the shop in 2022.
Read the full story on KPIX5.
COVID testing site in San Mateo sees longer lines ahead of New Year's Eve
On Thursday, the San Mateo Marriott parking lot was packed with people looking to get tested for COVID-19 before New Year Eve, KPIX5 reports.
The site is operated by Virus Geeks and accommodates 4,000 tests per day. People may walk up or drive through without an appointment.
Read the full story on KPIX5.
Thanks for reading today's S.F. news roundup! Did any of these stories hit home for you? Let me know in the comments.
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