Large events in San Francisco must require newly eligible COVID-19 vaccine booster recipients to provide proof of a booster starting in March, while public health officials are no longer recommending people only wear a cloth mask as the omicron variant spreads.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health on Monday updated its health order, just two weeks after ordering operators of large indoor events – including Golden State Warriors games at Chase Center – to require proof of a booster vaccination for most attendees and all staff beginning on Feb. 1. By March 1, attendees over 12 years old must show they received one at least a week before the event.
Following the state's lead, indoor events with at least 500 attendees, and outdoor ones with at least 5,000, are now considered "mega-events" by the city. Outdoor mega-event operators are encouraged, but not required, to ask for proof of a booster dose.
"It is critical that community members receive their initial vaccine series and booster shots when eligible to maintain the protective effect of the high community-wide vaccination rates in San Francisco," Dr. Susan Philip, the city’s health officer, wrote in the order.
Pointing to the omicron variant’s increased transmissibility as San Francisco continues setting COVID-19 case records, Philip wrote that "cloth masks are no longer recommended" on their own. The city now recommends wearing an N95, K95, KF94 or a well-fitting surgical mask with a cloth mask over it.
San Francisco averaged 1,525 new cases per day over the week ending on Jan. 4, according to the city’s most recently updated data, and 174.3 cases per 100,000 residents. The city’s previous highs, during the delta variant’s surge in August, were 310 new cases per day and 35.3 cases per 100,000 residents.
But 81% of the city’s residents are fully vaccinated, and unvaccinated residents are testing positive for COVID-19 at a much higher rate than their vaccinated counterparts. For the week ending on Jan. 4, 299.3 unvaccinated San Franciscans per every 100,000 residents tested positive. Among vaccinated residents, that rate was 160.8 per 100,000.
