San Francisco halting reopenings

Bowling alleys, indoor pools, others affected

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco will temporarily halt the reopening of additional activities and businesses planned for next week because of an increase in coronavirus case rates and hospitalizations, the city’s mayor and health director said Friday.

That includes expanding capacity for indoor dining at restaurants, and at places of worship and museums among other businesses, as cases increase not just in San Francisco but also in California and nationally, said Mayor London Breed and Director of Public Health Dr. Grant Colfax.

Breed said San Francisco, which has taken a far more conservative approach to reopening than many parts of California and the United States, has been “a model for the world” but now will continue its cautious approach.

San Francisco’s case rate has gone from 3 people per 100,000 to 4 people per 100,000 in the last two weeks, Colfax said, a 25 percent increase.

“We are still in the midst of a pandemic,” Breed said.

The majority of activities and businesses that were set to reopen or expand their capacity will now pause, they said. That includes delaying openings of indoor pools, bowling alleys, and locker rooms at fitness centers.

But what’s open now can continue operating, and lower-risk

activities will continue to open on Tuesday as planned.

That includes indoor dining at museums up to 25 percent capacity and expanded film productions with safety steps in place. Schools will continue to reopen. Officials said more than 75 schools have been approved to reopen and “a handful of high schools” are set to begin in-person classes in the next week.

Positive cases are increasing across California, but Gov. Gavin

Newsom focused on the rate of positive tests, which he noted has reached 20 percent to 30 percent in some areas of the country.

In California, the positivity rate is 3 percent over 14 days and 3.1 percent over seven days.

The state is anticipating an increase with the holidays and more indoor activities, coupled with the start of the flu season, which Newsom used to tout the timing of this week’s opening of a $25 million coronavirus testing laboratory.

Noah Berger The Associated Press file A man passes a COVID-19 public service notice Oct. 21 in San Francisco’s financial district. San Francisco is temporarily halting the planned reopening of additional activities and businesses, the city’s mayor and health director said Friday.