San Francisco updates masks tips | Bay Space
Susan Philip
Acting San Francisco Health Commissioner Dr. Susan Philip, on Monday called a recent decision by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to remove masks outdoors as “fantastic news”.
The CDC’s new guidelines, backed by the California Department of Health, allow residents to forego masks in most outdoor areas and come as more residents are vaccinated against COVID-19.
“The CDC’s announcement that fully vaccinated and, in some cases, unvaccinated people will no longer need to wear masks in certain outdoor environments is fantastic news reflecting the science and data we now have on the effectiveness of vaccines in prevention of spread and decline in the community have case numbers and minimal risk of transmission in the open air. We welcome the state’s decision to adopt these common sense guidelines and hope this will give people further incentives to get vaccinated as soon as possible, “Philip said in a statement.
“These changes mean that fully vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals will no longer need to wear masks when engaging in outdoor activities such as walking, running, hiking or biking alone or with members of the same household. And you no longer have to pull up your mask when you just walk past others on a sidewalk or path, as passing people temporarily does not pose a transmission risk, ”she said. “Anyone who is fully vaccinated will no longer need to cover their faces outdoors unless a more specific regulation requires it, such as at a major sporting event. Face covering must be worn for persons who have not been fully vaccinated if the physical distance cannot be maintained. “
Despite the updates, masks will still be required at large events or in crowded environments with 300 or more attendees.
In addition, vaccinated residents who attend small indoor gatherings with other vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks. However, the use of masks is still recommended in gatherings with people who have not yet been vaccinated.
“We all still need to have our masks close at hand, as they should be worn outside unless you are vaccinated and cannot easily keep the 1.8 meter distance. in environments where other rules still require masking in the open air; once you go to most of the store settings; or in large groups like outdoor music festivals or sporting events, even in fully vaccinated areas, ”said Philip. “Although you may be able to walk to a destination without one, you must put your mask on whenever you enter an indoor public area such as a shop, restaurant, gym, salon, or movie theater – anywhere vaccinated by others People is unknown. State mask requirements for public transit still apply, so you must wear your mask while waiting for and while using public transit.
Philip said the city plans to provide more details about the changes in the coming days and update the city’s health regulations to reflect the new changes.
The city remains on the orange tier of the state’s COVID-19 reopening guidelines, but Philip said the city could potentially enter the yellow tier later this week, possibly as early as Thursday.
To date, 72% of all San Franciscans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.
