San Francisco's COVID-19 vaccination and masking requirements for public indoor spaces will have new and familiar exemptions starting next month.
Beginning Feb. 1, masks will no longer be required in certain indoor settings, like gyms and offices, where everyone is fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and has received a booster shot. That same day, unvaccinated people can provide proof of a negative COVID test to attend an indoor event with at least 500 people, while people with religious and medical exemptions for the vaccine can provide proof of a negative test to enter bars, restaurants and gyms.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health announced the changes to its health order in a release on Thursday, saying the new requirements for indoor "mega-events" like Golden State Warriors games better align with state mandates. Unvaccinated people will still need to wear a "well-fitting mask" like an N95, K95, KF94 or a cloth face covering over a surgical mask.
"As we come out of this latest surge and face a future in which COVID-19 will remain among us, San Francisco will take a balanced approach in our response to COVID-19 by aligning with state requirements and guidelines where we can do so safely," Dr. Susan Philip, San Francisco Health Officer, said in a release on Thursday.
San Francisco health officials said last week that cases in the city peaked on Jan. 9, declining ever since after a surge in infections due to the omicron variant. Mayor London Breed and Dr. Grant Colfax, the city's health director, said the city would no longer try to "prevent every" COVID-19 case but aim to prevent hospitalizations and death.
While 82% of all residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, 63% of vaccinated residents have received their booster dose, according to San Francisco's most recent data. Cases are declining, but San Francisco is still averaging more cases than at any other point during the pandemic.
San Francisco's seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases was 1,370 for the week ending Jan. 19, up from a high of 374 during last winter's surge and 310 during the delta variant surge last summer. That total only includes tests reported to the city.
More COVID-19 patients were hospitalized on Jan. 23 (263), the most recent day for which the city has provided data, than any other point during the pandemic, including last winter's surge (256). ICU hospitalizations peaked at 44 on Jan. 15, down from a pandemic high of 63 on Jan. 13, 2021.
California initially exempted San Francisco from its Dec. 15 public indoor mask requirement, allowing fully vaccinated people in gyms and offices to no longer wear face coverings. Two weeks later, San Francisco and the rest of the Bay Area stopped providing exceptions to the mandate.
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