San Francisco Bay Space to drop some indoor masks mandates
SAN FRANCISCO >> Indoor mask requirements in the San Francisco Bay Area will be relaxed for certain indoor public spaces, including offices, gyms, college classrooms, and churches, once counties have low COVID-19 case and hospital stay rates and at least 80% of the total The general population is fully vaccinated, officials said today.
The Bay Area, which has some of the highest vaccination rates and lowest case numbers in the country, has been cautious throughout the pandemic when counties in the region issued the country’s first stay at home in March 2020.
After some restrictions were lifted in the spring, public health officials in San Francisco, Marin, Napa, Sonoma, Contra Costa, Alameda, Santa Clara, and San Mateo reintroduced an indoor mask mandate in August amid COVID-19 infections variant of the highly contagious delta.
Since then, cases in the Bay Area have declined, and officials have now agreed to lift mask requirements in some public spaces. The 80% vaccination rate includes the entire population, not just those 12 and over who are eligible for vaccination. It is left to each county to determine its own mask rules.
Such a change is likely weeks away in most areas, although San Francisco will begin easing the rules next week.
“Indoor masking has helped reduce the number of cases, hospital admissions, and COVID-19 deaths, so we don’t want to rush to remove this important layer of COVID prevention,” said Dr. Sara Cody, Santa Clara Health Officer.
In Contra Costa County, where 71% of the total population is vaccinated, officials said it could be a while before people can actually take their masks off because vaccines for children ages 5-11 have not yet been approved.
“I want to be very clear, we are not there yet and based on the criteria it will probably be a few more weeks before we can enter a shop or restaurant without a mask,” said Diane Burgis, District Manager of Contra Costa.
In San Francisco, where 75% of the total population is fully vaccinated, customers are already required to present full vaccination records to a variety of companies, including offices, gyms, and college classrooms. Mayor London Breed’s office announced Thursday that the mask requirement for these and other environments with fewer than 100 people will be eased on October 15, as long as everyone can show they are vaccinated, the place is well ventilated and no children are under Have been present for 12 years.
Guests at bars and restaurants in San Francisco, regardless of vaccination status, are still required to wear a mask unless they eat or drink, Breed said. The mayor was spotted on video at a nightclub without a mask last month in violation of the rules, and later told reporters that she did not think it sensible to ask guests to wear masks except when eating or drinking.
“Make sure you are vaccinated based on the requirements, but don’t feel like you need to be micro-controlled while wearing masks. We don’t need the funny police to come in and tell us what to do or not to do, ”she said later.
Indoor masking will also continue to be required in retail stores and other indoor shared spaces such as public areas such as elevators, lobbies, and restrooms, where people from different work environments could interact.
“This is an important step forward for San Francisco, especially for our downtown area, because when I speak to office workers and business leaders I keep hearing that they are eager to get back to a more normal workday” where they can interact with their colleagues Breed said in a statement.
State and federal regulations continue to require masks to be worn on public transportation, health care facilities, adult and elderly care facilities, and K-12 schools.
Steve Pyka, owner of Asta Yoga in San Francisco, said it was time vaccinated people were allowed to exercise without masks.
Pyka said his students had to register online and upload their vaccination records, his studio was well ventilated and there was plenty of space for people to keep their distance.
“They don’t move or open their mouths like in a restaurant or a bar, where they could have well over 100 people playing the theater, coming in with masks on and taking them off immediately and talking and sharing drinks and food,” he said.
Especially with such high vaccination rates in San Francisco, such strict requirements made no sense, he said.
“Instead of enjoying the fact that we live in a place where everyone does their part, we still live with politics that don’t seem to correspond to reality,” he said.
