Mayor London Breed and Dr. Grant Colfax announced Tuesday San Francisco is rolling back some reopening plans due to a surge in coronavirus cases.
The city is rolling back indoor dining, will reduce the capacity at movie theaters and gymnasiums, and it will pause the reopening of indoor classes for high schools.
The changes will officially go in effect on Friday, Nov. 13.
“I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that everyone act responsibly to reduce the spread of the virus," Mayor Breed said in a statement. "Every San Franciscan needs to do their part so that we can start moving in the right direction again. I know this is not the news our residents and businesses wanted to hear, but as I’ve said all along, we’re making decisions based on the data we’re seeing on the ground."
Since Oct. 2, the city has seen a 250% increase in coronavirus cases and it recently hit a low of 21 people hospitalized with the virus, but is expecting that number to rise.
"If we do not take immediate action, we will have the increase in cases and hospitalizations that we have seen in many other cities across the country and around the world, but have yet to experience in San Francisco," Dr. Colfax said.
The city expects this rollback to affect local businesses already spread thin due to the previous restrictions. As a response, the city will dedicate a total of $4 million to aid businesses owners during this time.
“This rollback will be extremely tough for our restaurants and bars who are already struggling to make ends meet, but we must work together to contain this virus, trust the science before us, and once again flatten this curve," said Joaquín Torres, Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. "Our economy and the thousands of employees that need and depend on this work rests with each of us to do our part."
Other Bay Area and Northern California counties like Contra Costa County and Santa Cruz County will also experience rollbacks. For a full breakdown, click here.
