San Francisco intends to relax indoor face-mask requirements in limited circumstances.According to city officials, as long as newly reported Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations remain stable or decline, some mask requirements will be lifted on Oct. 15 in a variety of settings, including offices, gyms and fitness centres, religious gatherings, and college classes.
The new rules require that everyone in the setting be vaccinated and that the capacity be limited to 100 people.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, California has the fewest newly reported Covid-19 cases per 100 people in the country. According to the city health department, the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital intensive-care or acute-care units in San Francisco has now reached 65.
This is down from a recent high of 123 in mid-August and 266 during a deadly winter surge in January. Confirmed cases are also scarce. According to city data, the seven-day average of newly reported cases is 79, down from 309 on Aug. 3. The city has one of the highest vaccination rates in the country. According to city data, more than 90 percent of adults over the age of 65 are fully vaccinated, and 88 percent of San Francisco residents aged 12 and older have received at least one dose.
According to the CDC, 83.7 percent of seniors in the United States are fully vaccinated, and 76.1 percent of those aged 12 and up have received at least one dose.”I’m excited that we’re once again at a point where we can begin easing the mask requirements,” Mayor London Breed said Thursday. “This is a direct result of the fact that we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the country, our cases have decreased, and our residents have done their part to keep themselves and those around them safe.”According to the city, in order for the mask mandate to be lifted in mid-October, the employer or host at a gathering or setting must ensure proper ventilation and have no recent Covid-19 outbreaks.
Children under the age of 12 are not permitted. There is no Covid-19 vaccine that has been approved for use in this age group. Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE asked US health regulators on Thursday to approve their vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. Indoor masking regulations continue to apply to the majority of other public spaces, including retail stores and other common areas such as building elevators, lobbies, and restrooms.
Indoor masking is still used in bars and restaurants, except when people are eating or drinking. At those locations, proof of vaccination is required.”Vaccines remain our path out of the pandemic, but masks have blunted the Delta-driven surge and protected our vital hospital capacity, while allowing businesses to remain open and children to return to school,” said Dr. Susan Philip, San Francisco’s Health Officer.
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