SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco County is one of 11 counties in California that will not be transitioning into “Phase 2.5” of Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to reopen the state after being shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. A total of 47 California counties entering Phase 2.5 are permitted to reopen in-person retail stores and dine-in restaurants to the public. Hair salons, nail salons, and barbershops will also be allowed to reopen under guidelines by the California Department of Public Health.
The requirements for reopening counties in California entail that there are no more than 25 COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents and no more than 20 COVID-19 patients in the county’s hospital within a 14-day period. A minimum capacity to perform 1.5 tests per 1,000 residents is required of the county daily. There are currently 52 COVID-19 patients and 37 suspected COVID-19 patients in San Francisco County hospitals.
On Tuesday, May 26, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced the implementation of the “Shared Spaces Program” which will allow San Francisco businesses to use sidewalks, streets, and other public spaces to operate safely. Breed tweeted:
“Our Shared Spaces Program will allow business to apply for no-cost, expedited permits to share public spaces like sidewalks, streets, and parking once they’re allowed to reopen.”
The application for these permits will be available in June 2020. A “Shop and Dine in the 49,” a virtual pop-up shop for locally produced goods was launched to promote business in San Francisco. The event ends on Friday, May 29.
