San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Lifting limits: S.F. ready to relax restrictions.
Restrictions to ease if hospitalizations, cases remain stable
San Francisco missed the yellow tier by the slimmest of margins last week, but the city will relax a few more pandemic restrictions soon anyway, public health officials said.
In addition to allowing indoor live events to resume this Thursday, the city will lift its 11 p.m. curfew on restaurants and allow more households to mingle, along with other somewhat subtle reopening gestures.
San Francisco’s coronavirus cases remain too high to drop down into yellow — the least restrictive tier of the state’s fourlevel reopening plan. But even though it’s been in orange — the second least restrictive level — for more than three weeks, it hasn’t fully embraced that tier, Dr. Susan Philip, county health officer, said during a virtual
meeting with residents and business owners Thursday.
That means there’s some wiggle room to open a bit more, she said.
“San Francisco has not expanded fully to the extent of orange tier as allowed by the state,” Philip said, noting that she and other local public officials have taken a slightly more cautious approach — a position they’ve carried throughout the pandemic.
But even as cases have leveled off in San Francisco, hospitalizations remain low and Philip said that vaccines are an important new tool that make her feel more confident reopening. To date, more than 50% of San Francisco’s 16 and older population has received at least one vaccine dose, though Philip said supply is still an issue.
“We believe that we can (expand reopening) cautiously, because the new variable that was not here during the past three surges is vaccine,” Philip said.
San Francisco had been on track to reach the yellow tier this Tuesday, when the state’s weekly tier adjustments come out. But last Tuesday the city reported an adjusted coronavirus case rate of 2 cases per 100,000 residents — just over the maximum 1.9 cases per 100,000 needed to move to yellow. If its case rate improves, the earliest it could move to yellow now is April 20.
But if coronavirus cases and hospitalizations remain stable over the next few days, the orange tier expansions will take effect this Thursday, Philip said.
Much of the expansion allows for additional capacity for operations that have already been open. The city also announced that live indoor events can resume with capacity limits and proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test from those in attendance.
But there are a few other changes: » For restaurants, the 11 p.m. curfew for dining on site will be lifted. Tabletop cooking by restaurant staff can also resume. » Outdoor bars can seat up to eight people per table. » Indoor conventions, meetings and receptions can be held with up to 150 guests, with face coverings and social distancing. Outdoor conventions, meetings and receptions can be held with up to 300 guests with proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test three days before the event. » Outdoor gatherings can be held with up to 50 people if no food is served, and up to 25 people with food. Social distancing is recommended without food and required if participants take off their masks to eat. » Indoor gatherings can be held at up to 25% capacity and no more than 25 people. » Hotels may host private meetings, conferences and receptions with capacity limitations. » Receptions for funerals and weddings may resume with attendance limitations. » Outdoor recreation activities like adult sport leagues and clubs may have up to 50 participants on each team. Indoor recreation activities can have up to 25 participants per team. Spectators are allowed consistent with state rules. » The 25person limit on openair boat and tour operators is lifted. » At drivein events, more than one household is allowed per vehicle.
“As we’ve been able to open as much as we have, we knew that all of us were coming into more contact with each other and that’s a good thing. We want businesses and activities and recreation to all open up," Philip said. “But we do have to be cautious and make sure (the recent case increase) is not a sign of a trend.”