This is a breaking story and will be updated as more information is received.
Restaurants in San Francisco will be allowed to reopen for outdoor dining on June 15, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced Thursday. If all goes well and the city’s novel coronavirus (COVID-19) cases remain at acceptable levels, indoor dining will be allowed to resume a month later on July 13. In order to meet those target dates, however, city rules for face coverings and the use of masks will be tightened, Breed said Thursday, both indoors and outdoors.
The two-part reopening of restaurants is not a plan widely used elsewhere, at least not in California. Of the 47 counties in the state that have moved to Stage 2.5 (the stage that allows sit-down dining), all have reopened indoor and outdoor dining simultaneously. Asked about the month-long wait, a City Hall source told Eater SF that the phased approach is to allow the SF Public Health Department to track any increases in infections and use these data to then decide whether to go ahead with indoor dining, or to cancel the opening of the restaurant. “The last thing we want to do,” Breed said Thursday, “is start to reopen and get a surge of cases, and have to back off.
According to the mayor, the Shared Spaces program – in which restaurants and bars can apply for free, fast-track permits to operate and seat customers on adjacent sidewalks, parking lanes and other public spaces – has been key to unlock the outdoor dining date of June 15. . Recent studies suggest that it is much more difficult to contract the virus outdoors, as long as a distance of six feet between people is maintained and other now familiar safety practices (washing hands, not sharing food or utensils, covering your mouth when coughing) are followed.
The July 13 date is just a “target date,” for now, the mayor says, and could be adjusted to an earlier or later date depending on infection rates. In addition to the reopening guidelines provided by the state, San Francisco will have its own set of indoor dining changes, all of which must be followed by places wishing to reopen.
While bars that serve food will be able to follow this same schedule, bars without food will have to wait much longer. According to the schedule announced on Thursday, the alcohol-only bars will be part of the city’s “phase 3” of reopening, scheduled for “mid-August”. But even that vague date could change, as officials warn that more than one sub-phase for No. 3 is likely.
While those specific rules for restaurants have yet to be released, there is a new rule Breed says is already in the works: A new order from the San Francisco Department of Public Health will require masks or coverings. -faces for everyone, indoors or outdoors, who is within 30 feet of another person. The new health order (which you can read in full here) applies to people who are “working, engaging in or seeking services or goods in essential, outdoor and additional businesses”, “walking past someone one on the sidewalk” and “when exercising and within 30 feet of someone.” The new rules go into effect at 11:59 p.m. on May 29.
While there’s a timeline to reopen restaurants and many other businesses in the city (for a full list, see below), Breed said Thursday that the city’s shelter-in-place order “is in place indefinitely” and will not – as previously planned – end on May 31. “If you can, you should stay home,” Breed said. ‘We’re not where we need to be yet’ in terms of infection rates, so for now, even as businesses continue to reopen across the city, residents are still encouraged to avoid activities as much as possible .
Here is the full announcement from Mayor London Breed’s office:
The Mayor of London N. Breed today announced a plan to reopen San Francisco that will allow some businesses and activities to resume with phased changes over the coming weeks and months. As long as San Francisco continues to make progress in slowing the spread of COVID-19, meets key health indicators, and state guidelines continue to allow more activity, restaurants in San Francisco will be able to offer outdoor dining. air, retail businesses may allow customers to shop indoors with modifications, and additional outdoor activities may resume June 15and. The City plans to allow the resumption of additional activities and businesses in July and August.
“Our residents have much to be proud of in how we have responded to this pandemic, with many people making enormous sacrifices to protect the health and safety of their fellow citizens,” Mayor Breed said. “We are entering a new phase of this crisis and we are confident that we are at a place where we can start to reopen parts of our economy, but that does not mean that this virus does not continue to threaten our city. As we begin to recover and reopen, we are all going to have to play our part in adapting to the new normal until we have a vaccine, and we will continue to do all we can to offer guidance and clear precautions to support residents and businesses with the further adjustments that will be required moving forward.
that of San Francisco reopening plan is aligned with state guidelines and is based on a San Francisco-specific risk model to control the spread of COVID-19 and protect public health. The plan is also informed by the work of the San Francisco COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force. The time frame for resuming certain businesses and activities will be adjusted as needed based on public health data.
Part of San Francisco’s plan for a safe reopening includes requiring residents to wear face coverings most of the time when leaving their homes and around other people, indoors. and outside. The public should also comply with other health and safety requirements and recommendations such as social distancing, hand washing and cleaning frequently touched surfaces. The Department of Public Health will issue a new health order today with updated requirements for face coverings.
The San Francisco map separates the Second step in three phases – Phase 2A, 2B and 2C. San Francisco Phases 3 and 4 are aligned with state stages. San Francisco has already entered Phase 2A, which allows curbside pickup permitted for most retail, construction, elective surgeries and outdoor businesses like car washes, flea markets and garden stores.
San Francisco’s current home health order has no expiration date and will be amended over the coming weeks and months to allow for a safer, phased reopening. Today’s plan details the next phases and indicates when the City expects other businesses and activities to resume with modifications. Plan dates will be finalized by changes to the health order or guidelines, and will be guided by health indicators. If the City is progressing faster than expected, the schedule described below may change to allow for an earlier reopening. For each phase, guidance will be issued to give companies and operators sufficient time to plan and comply with health and safety requirements.
Guidance for personal activities and interactions, such as visiting friends, having playdates and dinner parties, is coming soon. The plan and timeline for reopening businesses and activities was created in coordination with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s (SFMTA) Transportation Recovery Plan. For each phase of reopening, SFMTA will gradually add and adjust services.
“San Francisco’s early and aggressive actions have been key to the success we’ve had in the fight against the coronavirus,” said Chief Health Officer Dr. Grant Colfax. “As we move towards reopening, it will be essential to continue to prioritize community health. Every San Franciscan can and should help if we are to achieve better times. This means covering your face, keeping social distance and getting tested if you have symptoms. These actions have saved lives and will be more important than ever as we begin to move around the city again. »
“San Francisco has led the way with our public health response and we can again lead the way with a thoughtful and responsible approach to reopening,” said Evaluator Carmen Chu, co-chair of the Economic Recovery Task Force. “Through the task force, we’ve heard from hundreds of San Franciscans about the need to balance our public health needs with our ability to make ends meet, and today’s announcement provides us all with a leaf road to plan and prepare for the future.”
“As we move towards reopening, this framework provides businesses with the information they need to plan their next steps towards recovery,” said Joaquín Torres, director of the Office of Economic Development and Workforce. . “And as our communities follow good public health practices, we will see an increase in the activities needed to bring San Francisco to full economic vibrancy.”
Timeline of San Francisco’s planned reopening
The list below does not include all of the businesses and activities that the City has included in the reopening plan. San Francisco will only allow the reopening of businesses and activities permitted by state guidelines. For complete information on the City’s plan to allow for the gradual reopening of additional activities and businesses, go to SF.gov/reopening.
Phase 2A – June 1st
– Child care
– Botanical gardens
– Open-air museums and historic sites
– Outdoor curbside retail for services with minimal contact (shoe repair, dog grooming, etc.)
Phase 2B – June 15and
– Most indoor retail businesses
– Outdoor dining
– Summer camps
– Interior services for private households
– Religious services and ceremonies
– Outdoor exercise classes
– Professional sports games, tournaments and other places of entertainment without spectators
– Non-urgent medical appointments
Phase 2C – July 13and
– Interior dining room with modifications
– Hair salons and barbershops
– Real Estate Open House (by appointment only)
Phase 3 – Mid-August – to be determined, will be more than one sub-phase
– Schools with modifications
– Bars
– Other personal services
o Nail salons
o Massage parlors
o Tattoo parlors
– Gyms and fitness centers
– Playgrounds
– Swimming pools
– Indoor museums
Phase 4 – Date to be determined
– Concert halls
– Live sports and performances
– Nightclubs
– Festivals
– All hotels and lodges for leisure and tourism
