S.F. looks to hasten reopening of bars, salons, museums
San Francisco officials are looking to accelerate the city’s emergence from the economic shutdown prompted by the COVID19 pandemic by moving up the date at which certain businesses, including hair salons, museums and outdoor bars, can reopen.
The next phase of San Francisco’s reopening will now take effect June 29 — rather than midJuly — provided the city gets permission from the state and that critical health indicators, like the number of hospitalizations and new cases, remain stable.
The city needs the signoff from California health officials to reopen sooner than what current state guidelines allow. San Francisco officials are confident that their request, submitted after getting permission from the city’s Board of Supervisors last week, will be granted. Other major cities have obtained similar permissions from the state without issue.
Should that happen, a range of San Francisco businesses would be allowed to resume operations with modifications meant to safeguard public health. They include: hair salons, barbershops, nail salons, tattoo parlors, museums, zoos, bars with outdoor seating and outdoor swimming facilities.
Bars and other authorized businesses that can’t reopen without outdoor areas for customers have been directed to apply for free, fasttracked permits to use portions of public spaces — sidewalks, streets, parks and plazas — for service.
“Thanks to San Franciscans’ efforts to follow health requirements, wear face coverings, and practice social distancing, our COVID19 health indicators are in a good place and we can continue reopening our city,” Mayor London Breed said in a statement. “We know a lot of businesses and residents are struggling financially, and this next step will help get more San Franciscans back to work while still balancing safety.”
The decision by city officials to move ahead of the state’s reopening pace was prompted by San Francisco’s success in hitting key public health targets used to measure progress against the pandemic. From June 14 through June 19, San Francisco administered an average of nearly 2,400 tests daily. Between 1% and 2% of those tests came back positive.
As of June 20, the most recent day for which city data is available, there were 36 people hospitalized for COVID19, 11 in intensivecare units.
Public health data collected from across California reflects a starker picture. The number of COVID19 hospitalizations reached its highest point Saturday since the onset of the pandemic, according to data reviewed by The Chronicle.
Populous Southern Californian counties accounted for the majority of recent totals, with Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego and San Bernardino counties making up 75% of state hospitalizations as of Saturday. The Bay Area has, in general, performed better.
San Francisco Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax said in a statement that the city expects the number of COVID19 cases to rise as the city reopens.
“To keep that increase manageable and sustain our commitment to protecting the people most vulnerable to the virus, everyone in San Francisco must continue to take the precautions that save lives,” he said.