San Francisco will mandate proof of full coronavirus vaccination for various indoor activities such as restaurants, bars, and gyms, according to a Thursday report.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports:
Many bars and restaurants around San Francisco have already taken it upon themselves to ask patrons to show their vaccination cards before they enter. The process has largely gone well, restaurateurs say. Mayor London Breed plans to announce a city-wide requirement Thursday morning.
This month, New York City became the first city to announce that it would require proof of at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine for indoor activities; that mandate takes effect on Aug. 16. San Francisco’s requirement will go a step further, with a full dosage requirement.
The report comes after San Francisco and six other Bay Area counties announced earlier this August that they are reinstating mask mandates for all indoor public settings as part of an effort to combat the surge in cases of the coronavirus delta variant.
“It is unfortunate we have to do this at this point in the pandemic. None of us wanted to be here,” Dr. George Han, deputy health officer for Santa Clara County, said in a press conference at the time. “But the virus has changed.”
“We are facing a much more aggressive and contagious opponent right now,” said Sundari Mase, the interim health officer for Sonoma County.
New York City previously announced that it will soon require proof of coronavirus vaccinations for individuals who seek to dine indoors at a restaurant or attend a performance.
The new requirement, which will be phased in over several weeks in August and September, is the most aggressive step the city has taken yet to curb a surge in cases caused by the delta variant. People will have to show proof that they have had at least one vaccine dose.
“The only way to patronize these establishments indoors will be if you’re vaccinated,” de Blasio said. “The goal here is to convince everyone that this is the time. If we’re going to stop the delta variant, the time is now.”
The Democrat said some details still need to be worked out, including rules affecting children under 12, who are not yet eligible for any of the approved vaccines. The policy will go into effect on Aug. 16 but inspections and enforcement won’t begin until Sept. 13 — the week the city’s public schools reopen for fall.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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