San Franciscans will have to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test result to sit indoors at bars following new guidance from the San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance.
“The San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance is extremely concerned by a recent uptick in cases of COIVD-19 among our staff members, especially those who are fully vaccinated,” the organization wrote in a statement. “We believe we are obligated to protect our workers and their families and to offer a safe space for customers to relax and socialize.”
After polling members, the alliance took up as its “official position” that “any customer who wishes to remain inside our establishments show proof of vaccination or a 72-hour negative COVID-19 test.” Those efforts will go into effect on Thursday, July 29.
“Guests without these verifications are welcome to sit outside in parklets or other spaces we offer,” the organization wrote. “It will be up to each individual bar to decide how best to enforce this for their customers.”
The San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance is “a private group dedicated to protecting the interests of San Francisco’s bar, tavern, cocktail lounge, wine bar, beer hall and liquor-heavy restaurants,” according to the description on its private Facebook group. The group represents around 500 bar owners from about 300 bars, according to San Francisco Eater, which reported that 85% of owners were in favor of asking for patrons’ proof of vaccination.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed shared her support for the decision, via Twitter:
This is a responsible decision by the SF Bar Owner Alliance that will help protect employees and customers.
We need everyone to get vaccinated, especially as the Delta variant continues to spread. It's how we can keep our city and our residents safe. https://t.co/RAENDN4SrK
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) July 26, 2021
San Francisco County has had a 165% increase in COVID-19 cases and a 76% increase in hospitalizations in the last 14 days, according to the New York Times. Nearly 70% of San Francisco County residents are fully vaccinated, outpacing the state of California’s rate of 52%. Only its northern neighbor Marin County has a higher vaccination rate at 73%.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revised its guidance to recommend that vaccinated people return to wearing masks in public indoor spaces in areas where infection rates are surging. This marks an about-face from the organization’s announcement in May that vaccinated people no longer needed to wear masks in most indoor spaces, but this was before the more contagious Delta variant became the dominant form of the virus across the country.
“The Delta variant is showing every day its willingness to outsmart us,” CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said in a press briefing Tuesday.
Elsewhere in California, Los Angeles County reinstated its mask mandate. St. Louis County in Missouri did, as well.
Earlier this month, an outbreak was tied to July 4 celebrations in Provincetown, Massachusetts, which resulted in 469 cases among Massachusetts residents, 74% of whom were fully vaccinated, according to the New York Times.