Indoor mask term in San Francisco could end soon, but not in restaurants and bars

With delta cases declining across the Bay Area, health officials are relaxing the current mandate for indoor masks in some places. In a joint statement, a coalition of eight Bay Area counties on Thursday announced common criteria for the withdrawal of indoor mask warrants. And leading the pack, San Francisco is already advancing; the mayor and the health department announced they would relax the mandate for indoor masks on Oct. 15 – but only in certain contexts. While masks will no longer be required in offices and gyms, masks will still be required in others, including restaurants and bars. So sorry, dear eaters: in San Francisco, the masks may be removed to return to the office, but it’s still the masks for the meals and drinks inside.

Eight Bay Area counties have accepted the new criteria, which includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sonoma, as well as the city of Berkeley. Each jurisdiction will decide when to withdraw its local mask mandate, based on the following criteria: when the jurisdiction reaches the moderate yellow level, as defined by the CDC, and remains there for three weeks; when the local health worker judges hospitalizations to be “low and stable”; and when 80 percent of the total population is fully immunized, or eight weeks later, when a vaccine is available for children 5 to 11 years old. This is a slightly different measure than what we have seen in the past, which clearly includes school-aged children.

In San Francisco, Mayor of London N. Breed and the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) have confirmed that if the numbers stay low, our indoor mask mandate will be lifted on October 15. But only in certain settings – offices, gymnasiums, religious gatherings, and college yards, among others – and with strict restrictions – these gatherings must meet regularly, have fewer than 100 people and require proof of vaccination, and children of under 12 are not allowed. Masks will always be mandatory in restaurants and bars, except when actively eating and drinking. So really, this update is all about getting people back to the office, it’s not a return to normal for restaurants.

In a statement, the Mayor of London Breed confirmed the change was an effort to get people back to their offices. “This is an important step forward for San Francisco, especially for our downtown area, because when I talk to office workers and business leaders, one of the things I keep hearing is that they are eager to resume a more normal work routine. where they can interact with their colleagues, ”she said.

This news follows the peak and decline of delta cases in the Bay Area. San Francisco is currently reporting a seven-day average of 36 new cases per day, and fewer hospitalizations and deaths. This is thanks to the high vaccination rates, which have now reached 88 percent of residents over the age of 12 and 80 percent of the total population. San Francisco was the first Bay Area county to announce a vaccination mandate on August 20, which officials say helped reduce the number.

Industry lobby group the Golden Gate Restaurant Association (GGRA) was happy to see the announcement, even though it focused on offices. “Our restaurants, bars and cafes in downtown San Francisco – including the Financial District – need pedestrian traffic and downtown office workers to survive…” said Executive Director Laurie Thomas in a commentary. communicated. “We understand that many will be disappointed that restaurants and bars are not included in the October 15 release, but we appreciate the need to protect the health and well-being of our staff and their families (many with children under 12), as well as our clients and their families.

There have been a lot of masks and masks this year which has led to some mask confusion for restaurants and bars in the Bay Area. When California fully reopened on June 15, diners were happy to take off their masks, but workers still lacked clear guidelines. And we were only able to breathe easy for a few weeks, before the Delta variant prompted a Bay Area mask recommendation to return on July 16 and an official mask warrant that has been in place since August 3. . So while the criteria for the Bay Area and San Francisco announcement today is good news in terms of phasing out restrictions and returning to work or in progress, keep in mind that this is as usual for restaurants and bars. So please be respectful to the waiters, bartenders and other staff, and continue to hide yourself.