San Francisco is in full Fleet Week mode, and with the 1 million people expected for the week-long event, comes concerns about a super-spreader COVID event.
Fleet Week in the Bay Area means many sights and many sounds, not just the Blue Angels. The Navy Brass Quintet sounded off at the city’s Noe Valley Town Center. Fleet Week also means a million people coming out, with COVID-19 still around.
“You know I’m not actually concerned because San Francisco has a pretty high vaccination rate and a strong mask policy so it’s not too bad,” said Stephanie Ng.
Organizers say up to just a few weeks ago, it was touch and go as to whether the event would be virtual, like last year.
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“We are really an outdoor event. We have a lot of events but very few are indoors and in talking to the city they were saying it’s OK I think we can do this one,” said Lewis Loevef, executive director of SF Fleet Week Association.
Health experts say let the ships sail and the jets scream because the Bay Area has done, and continues to do, everything right.
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“We have roughly 80%, somewhere between 70 and 80% of the entire population vaccinated depending which county you’re in and we are approaching herd immunity and we are we have people who wear masks and maintain social distance,” said Loevef.
Mayor London Breed Tuesday taking the carrot and stick approach, you’ve worked so hard for this huge event, don’t stop now!
“Make sure you participate, that you attend, and that you follow COVID restrictions so you don’t get in trouble,” she said. “You make sure you do your part because we are still in a pandemic.”
Breed appeared genuinely excited about the Jets, the ship tours, and the concerts but also that this return to fleet week is another step towards a return to normal.
