“Indoor Dining” in SF Won’t Be Back Until October (at the Earliest)
Mayor London Breed Announces Timeline and Framework for Reopening Indoor Dining in San Francisco
Friday, September 18, 2020
San Francisco is working with the local restaurant industry to develop a standardized health and safety plan and protocols to help restaurants prepare for reopening
Mayor London N. Breed, Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health, and Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu, co-Chair of the City’s Economic Recovery Task Force, today announced San Francisco’s plan for reopening indoor dining.
Indoor Dining in San Francisco at a Glance
- Will begin no early than September 30th (this is the absolute earliest date, but could be later)
- Will only be approved when SF moves into the “orange” tier
- When approved will be at 25% capacity (up to 100 people)
- Before restaurants can reopen, they will need to complete a self-certification documenting their ability to comply with minimum standards for operating indoor dining in San Francisco.
- Updates will be posted at sf.gov/topics/reopening
San Francisco will move forward with indoor dining at 25% capacity, up to 100 people, once classified as “orange” on the State’s tiered system, which will occur no sooner than the end of the month. The San Francisco Department of Public Health is developing health and safety guidelines in coordination with the local restaurant industry in order to prepare restaurants for the safest reopening possible.
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When will SF be in the “orange” tier? According to the SF Gate, in order to qualify for the orange tier, San Francisco must report fewer than four daily cases per 100,000 residents and a test positivity below 5% for 14 consecutive days.
San Francisco is currently assigned to the State’s “red” tier, which provides the City the discretion to move forward with reopening some activities and services, including indoor salons and gyms. While San Francisco recognizes the State’s thresholds, the City will continue on a reopening path based on its local health indicators and unique challenges and successes of our local reopening.
Based on the State’s tiered system, the earliest that San Francisco will move to the less restrictive “orange” tier is at the end of September.
San Francisco will move forward with allowing indoor restaurants to reopen at 25% capacity once we are in the state’s “orange” tier. The soonest this could come is the end of the month if our COVID-19 metrics remain stable & continue to improve.
Full announcement: https://t.co/bGWDkLb7mv
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) September 18, 2020
However, if local COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations do not remain stable, San Francisco may not meet the criteria of the orange tier and will remain in the red tier.
The City is working with the Golden Gate Restaurant Association to develop a self-certification process for reopening indoor dining in San Francisco. This process will provide restaurants the information and tools they need to prepare to safely reopen indoor dining with limited capacity and other modifications in place. Before restaurants can reopen, they will need to complete a self-certification documenting their ability to comply with minimum standards for operating indoor dining in San Francisco.
Reopening Next Week
In-classroom learning with limited capacity for TK-6th grade will begin to resume September 21st for schools that have submitted a safety plan and have received approval. Indoor museums and galleries may submit health and safety plans this week and will be able to open as early as Monday, September 21st. Additionally, San Francisco continues to evaluate ways to bring other activities, including indoor movies, bars, nightlife, and offices back safely.
Prior Reopening
Earlier this week, San Francisco’s reopening continued with additional outdoor and indoor activities. The businesses and services that resumed indoors with limited capacity include hair salons, barber shops, massage services, nail salons, gyms and fitness centers. Only those services where face coverings can be worn at all times by everyone involved will reopen at this time. Hotels, outdoor family entertainment centers, drive-in entertainment such as outdoor movies, and outdoor tour buses and boats also reopened on Monday under rules for outdoor gatherings.
The reopening of businesses and activities will increase travel and interaction throughout the city, which means increasing community spread of the virus and an increase in cases. Public health officials will regularly assess the Key Public Health Indicators, particularly new positive case counts and hospitalizations to ensure San Francisco has the necessary resources available for those that are infected.
San Francisco’s reopening plan is available online at SF.gov/reopening. Reopening is dependent upon San Francisco’s Health indicators remaining stable or improving, and the plan is subject to change. All San Franciscans must do their part to limit the spread of COVID-19, including face masking, social distancing and handwashing.
