San Franciso Moves to Next Phase of Reopening

San Francisco, CA — Today the City’s phased reopening moved forward into Phase 2B, allowing more business and social activities to resume with required safety protocols in place. San Francisco is continuing to make progress slowing the spread of COVID-19, is meeting several key health indicators and is aligned with state guidance as it gradually allows more activities.

Last week, San Francisco restaurants began offering outdoor dining, following the success of curbside retail and some outdoor activities that were allowed in mid-May. Starting today, retail businesses are allowing customers to shop inside with safety modifications, and some additional outdoor activities may resume, including small outdoor gatherings with 12 people or fewer.

The City plans to allow additional social and business activities in the coming weeks and months if key health indicators are met and residents and businesses continue to follow safety guidelines and requirements that are critical to protecting employees and customers of businesses that are reopening. The public’s continued partnership and cooperation with face coverings and other health precautions such as social distancing, frequent hand washing, staying home if sick, and cleaning frequently touched surfaces are essential to continue reopening.

“San Francisco retail businesses and residents have been waiting for a while to get to this next phase, and we’re committed to continuing to make progress on reopening so people can get back to work and regain some sense of normalcy in their lives,” said Mayor Breed. “As we do reopen, we want to make sure that we do so carefully and safely, and that we’re ready to adjust if we see a spike in cases. Our success depends on each person doing their part, taking precautions, and being mindful. As we go out in our neighborhood to visit and support local businesses, it’s important that we continue following all the public health requirements, which will help keep us all safe and healthy.”

“San Francisco has been very effective in slowing the spread of the virus. Reopening combines hope and optimism with the awareness that the virus is still here, and cases will likely increase as people start to move about the city more,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health. “The virus spreads very quickly and can rapidly overwhelm communities and health care systems. While we hope that won’t happen in San Francisco, that is why we must be vigilant and flexible as we enter this new phase. Residents must continue to take precautions and sustain the habits that have gotten us where we are today. Everyone needs to weigh their own risk and the risk to their family, household members and people they interact with. As we reopen, think through how to do any activity you are contemplating in the safest way possible. You can still save lives.”

San Francisco’s Stay Home Health Order remains in effect and is gradually being amended to allow for a safer reopening. Today, the City is entering into Phase 2B of its local reopening plan. San Francisco entered Phase 2A of the reopening plan on June 1, 2020 and on June 12, 2020 allowed outdoor dining with safety protocols to begin. In conjunction with outdoor dining, the City is offering free permits for businesses to occupy the sidewalk and other public property to operate their business through the Shared Spaces program.

The activities and businesses allowed to resume today as part of San Francisco’s Reopening Phase 2B are:

• Indoor retail with 50% capacity limits (enclosed malls with an approved plan)
• All curbside retail with direct street access with no limit on the number of on-site personnel, subject to social distancing, and with direct street access (enclosed malls with an approved plan)
• All manufacturing, warehouse and logistics with no limit on the number of on-site personnel, subject to social distancing
• Non-emergency medical appointments
• All private indoor household services like cooks and house cleaners
• Outdoor fitness classes (up to 12 people) with social distancing
• Professional sports games, tournaments, and other entertainment for broadcast with no in-person spectators. Events with more than 12 people must have an approved plan.
• Religious gatherings and ceremonies, outdoors only (up to 12 people), with face coverings and social distancing
• Other small gatherings, outdoors only (up to 12 people), with face coverings and social distancing
• Some offices. Anyone who can telework must continue to do so, but individuals necessary for operations who cannot work remotely may come into the office as long as certain safety rules are followed. These include wearing a face covering and limiting the number of people who can be in the office at one time.
• Summer camps with stable groups of up to 12.
• Outdoor dining including restaurants and bars serving meals with a limit of six customers per table unless all are members of the same household (effective June 12)
• Dog walking of multiple dogs (effective June 8)

San Francisco’s reopening plan is aligned with State guidelines and is based on a San Francisco-specific risk model to control the spread of COVID-19 and protect public health. The plan is also informed by the work of the San Francisco COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force and the Department of Public Health (DPH) monitoring of the virus.

“Every step forward we take in reopening supports our local economy and so far San Franciscans have made that possible by taking individual action to slow the spread of COVID-19,” said Assessor Carmen Chu, co-chair of the City’s Economic Recovery Task Force. “Let’s continue to do our part to protect ourselves, our families, and the workers who make the everyday things we need and enjoy possible.”

“San Francisco’s hard work and patience, combined with taking face covering and social distancing seriously, has brought us to a reopening milestone that's going to greatly benefit our small businesses, our workers, and our economy,” said Joaquín Torres, Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “As more businesses open their doors in the coming weeks, they’ll be counting on our support more than ever. By buying local, we can keep our purchasing power within our communities, help sustain our businesses and their workers and emerge from this pandemic a more vibrant and resilient San Francisco.”

“We are very excited to see the city progress into Phase 2B of its reopening plan,” said David Eiland, owner of Just For Fun in Noe Valley. “Small businesses serve a vital purpose in helping provide life and character to our neighborhoods and employ many of our neighbors. Indoor retail is one more step on the road to normal and we are excited to welcome back our friends, customers, and community.”

As the City reopens with a focus on safety and equity, DPH will continue to track the impact of the virus on the community and health system to inform public policy. As people start to move about the city more and increase activities, San Francisco will likely experience increases in cases and hospitalizations. As San Francisco continues to reopen, the City will address the disparities already identified for low-wage workers, people who must leave home to work, and workers who live in crowded conditions.

San Francisco’s health indicators are an important tool to monitor the level of COVID-19 in the community and the ability of our health care system to meet the needs of residents. The Health Indicators monitor cases, hospital systems, testing, contact tracing, and personal protective equipment. The Health Indicators are not an on/off switch for the reopening, but instead, measure the pandemic in San Francisco and our ability to manage it. They will be posted on the San Francisco COVID-19 Data Tracker on Tuesday, June 16, so that San Franciscans can stay informed.

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