San Francisco to Require Proof of Vaccination for Indoor Venues
Aug. 13, 2021 — San Francisco will require proof of full vaccination for customers to enter indoor restaurants, bars, clubs, gyms, and entertainment venues.
The mandate will take effect on Aug. 20, according to The Associated Press. The new rules won’t apply to people who are ineligible for vaccines, such as children under age 12.
“This is to protect kids, is to protect those who can’t get vaccinated, is to make sure that we don’t go backwards, is to make sure that I never have to get up in front of you and say, ‘I’m sorry, I know we just reopened and now the city is closed again because we are seeing too many people die,’” Mayor London Breed said on Thursday.
San Francisco’s mandate will be stricter than the one announced by New York City last week, the AP reported. San Francisco will require proof of full vaccination for all customers and staff, while New York City requires proof of at least one dose.
Businesses in San Francisco will have until Oct. 13 to verify employees’ vaccination status, the AP reported. Breed said on Thursday that a photo of the CDC’s vaccination card will be acceptable, and California has an online record with a bar code that vaccinated people can use. It will be up to businesses to enforce the requirement, according to the outlet.
Breed’s goal is to increase the vaccination rate in San Francisco, where 78% of eligible people are fully vaccinated, the AP reported. The city is also requiring all city employees to be vaccinated, as well as certain health care providers — such as employees at adult day care centers, residential care facilities, and dental offices, along with home health aides and pharmacists.
Los Angeles is considering a similar requirement to show proof of vaccination, according to the AP. People will need to receive at least one vaccine dose to enter indoor restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theaters, and other venues. City attorneys are now working on the details.
What’s more, California Gov. Gavin Newsom this week announced that all employees at public and private schools in the state will have to show proof of vaccination or get tested weekly.
“We are issuing these new health requirements because indoor, public settings where people congregate in close quarters, often with their masks off, are a main way that the virus spreads,” Naveena Bobba, MD, acting health officer for San Francisco, said in a statement.
“With the increased COVID-19 case rates, we need everybody who is eligible for a vaccine to get one now,” she said.
