February 15, 2022
A Message From The Supervisor:

Happy Tuesday! Today, during our Board of Supervisor’s meeting, we honored the Lakeview OMI’s Invest Black. Invest Black is a group of residents, businesses, and nonprofits collaborating to retain the history and the legacy of the Lakeview community, strengthen it through the advocacy of resources and investments from the San Francisco city departments to create a thriving and supportive environment for Black families and community. The group worked tirelessly during the pandemic to provide resources and testing to the entire District 11 community. I was happy to show my gratitude and appreciation for all that they do. 

Last week, Balboa High School’s Football team was honored in the rotunda of City Hall by Mayor Breed. The team won the State Championship and brought the trophy home to District 11 this past season. 

I would like to remind you all of the new masking guidelines that go into effect tomorrow, Wednesday, February 16. In alignment with the State, the Bay Area counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Cruz, Solano, Sonoma, and the City of Berkeley will lift universal mask requirements for most indoor public settings beginning Wednesday, February 16. Unvaccinated individuals over age 2 will continue to be required to wear masks in all indoor public settings. Businesses, venue operators and hosts may determine their own paths forward to protect staff and patrons and may choose to require all patrons to wear masks. Still, there remains the ongoing threat that the virus poses to the health of vulnerable residents and also potentially to the capacity of San Francisco’s healthcare system.  A summary of the more significant changes will be later in this newsletter.

Our office remains accessible to the public through telephone, email, virtual meeting or in person via appointment.  We are available by email: safaistaff@sfgov.org or by phone 415-554-6976 (leave a message and we will call you back). You can also check for updates on my Twitter , Instagram, and Facebook. Stay safe and healthy.

Please note - if you miss my weekly newsletter, you may find it later on the Board of Supervisor’s website. Click HERE to read past newsletters.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to my staff at Safaistaff@sfgov.org.

Sincerely,

• Order an at-home test for your household at covidtests.gov. 
• Have everyone ages 5+ get their COVID-19 vaccine and booster if eligible.
• Anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 should isolate themselves and get tested as soon as possible.
• Get tested before travel, upon return, and again 3-5 days later.
• Take advantage of quick and easy home test kits available at no cost in pharmacies and stores. Starting Jan. 15, purchased home test kits are eligible for reimbursement.
• Outside gatherings are safer than indoor gatherings. Limit the number and size of indoor gatherings.
• Take all precautions, including vaccinations, boosters, and testing when gathering with others without masks – especially with elderly or immunocompromised individuals.
• Wearing a well-fitted mask is still recommended indoors and in crowded settings. To best protect yourself, wear an N95, KN95, KF94 respirator, or double mask with a cloth mask over a surgical mask to improve the seal, or a fitted surgical mask if possible, especially during this surge. Wear a mask that is comfortable with the best fit and filtration, and wear it over your nose and mouth. Get the most out of your masking.
• Unvaccinated adults should avoid travel and gatherings outside their household.
• Wash hands or use hand sanitizer often.
• Layer your defenses, and reduce your household’s risk exposure during periods of high transmission.

• Masking Indoors.
  • Generally the updated Order aligns with the State’s changes to the indoor masking requirements, still requiring unvaccinated people to mask in indoor public settings unless a temporary exception applies (like while actively eating or drinking) but allowing people who are vaccinated with a complete initial series to remove masks in many indoor settings (unless the operator of the specific venue requires otherwise).
    • For indoor mega-events the San Francisco Order is more stringent than the State order in that the San Francisco Order, as noted in No. 2.b below, requires patrons to either be up-to-date on vaccination (including boosters once eligible), rather than just vaccinated with a complete initial series, or to have a negative test to enter the facility.  Once inside, any patron who is vaccinated (whether vaccinated with a complete initial series or boosted ) can remove masks at indoor mega events.  Patrons who are unvaccinated must keep masks on except when actively eating or drinking.  (Staff are subject to the same rules as patrons for removing masks, plus any additional rules that Cal/OSHA requires for employees.)
    • The San Francisco Order’s pre-Omicron benchmarks for changing the universal indoor mask mandate will be removed, despite not being met, in light of the Omicron variant having been less virulent and the substantial local vaccination and booster rates, meaning that most people are protected enough from COVID-19 to align with the State’s decision to end its universal masking mandate.  As a result, along with all the other Bay Area counties (except Santa Clara) San Francisco’s indoor mask mandate for vaccinated people under the Order terminates on February 15, 2022, when the State mandate ends.  Unvaccinated people continue to be required to wear a mask in public spaces indoors, and vaccinated people must still wear a mask in certain designated indoor public settings as required under federal and state health orders.
    • There are three main scenarios for businesses and government agencies to verify vaccination requirements for patrons to remove masks in indoor public settings:
      • Indoor Mega-Events.   Businesses and government agencies that opt to allow patrons who qualify (i.e., must be at least vaccinated with a complete initial series) to remove masks at indoor mega-events upon entry, must use the same methods for vaccine verification already listed in the current health order (i.e., checking the CDC vaccination card, a personal digital vaccination record issued by the State or other jurisdiction or entity, or documentation from a healthcare provider) to allow those patrons who are up-to-date on vaccination to remove masks. 
        • Separate from checking patrons for proof of being up-to-date on vaccination (including booster) or negative test before allowing entry, hosts and operators of indoor mega-events can satisfy the requirements for mask removal by patrons once inside the facility at minimum by posting signs at public entrances and at appropriate locations inside the facility saying that if you are vaccinated with a complete initial series you may remove your mask in the facility, and others may do so while actively eating/drinking.  DPH will provide a template sign.  Hosts and operators may adopt more stringent controls, such as continuing to require universal masking or requiring additional measures that are more protective of public health and that meet their operational needs.
      • Restaurants, Bars, Etc.   Businesses and government agencies that opt to allow patrons who are vaccinated with a complete initial series to remove masks in indoor restaurants, bars, theaters, entertainment venues and other facilities where proof of vaccination or negative testing is required as a condition of entry, must use the same methods already listed in the current health order (i.e., checking the CDC vaccination card, a personal digital vaccination record issued by the State or other jurisdiction or entity, or documentation from a healthcare provider) to allow those patrons who are vaccinated with a complete initial series to remove masks. 
        • Separate from checking patrons for proof of vaccination or negative test before allowing entry, operators of these covered facilities can satisfy the requirements for mask removal by patrons once inside the facility at minimum by posting signs at public entrances and at appropriate locations inside the facility saying that if you are vaccinated with a complete initial series you may remove your mask in the facility, and others may do so while actively eating/drinking.  DPH will provide a template sign.  Operators may adopt more stringent controls, such as continuing to require universal masking or requiring additional measures that are more protective of public health and that meet their operational needs.
      • Other Indoor Public Settings.   Other indoor public settings (except those limited higher-risk settings described in No. 1.b below where masks are still required for everyone), including businesses and government agencies, that opt to allow patrons who are vaccinated with a complete initial series to remove masks in places like grocery stores, banks, or public buildings, have additional options for confirming vaccination status of those patrons, including self-attestation (i.e., relying on person’s representation that, by virtue of not wearing a mask, they are vaccinated with a complete initial series).  They can have staff use the same methods already listed in the current health order (i.e., checking the CDC vaccination card, a personal digital vaccination record issued by the State or other jurisdiction or entity, or documentation from a healthcare provider).  Or they can post signs stating people who are vaccinated with a complete initial series may remove their masks, in essence another form of self-attestation by those people consistent with State rules.  They can also come up with other more restrictive options that are more protective of public health and that meet their operational needs.
    • For personnel (as opposed to patrons), businesses and governmental agencies should ensure they are in compliance with any more rigorous requirements, including those contained in the current Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards.  For example, to allow personnel to remove their masks, businesses and agencies may be required to document their vaccination status.
    • Because individuals who are vaccinated with a complete initial series or boosted would be able to remove masks in many indoor settings, San Francisco’s existing rule allowing the removal of masks by individuals who are up-to-date on vaccination in stable cohorts in certain settings (such as offices and gyms) will no longer be necessary.  In those settings where the stable cohort rule currently applies, as of February 16 the updated masking rules will allow anyone who is at least vaccinated with a complete initial series to remove their masks.
  • Consistent with state and federal requirements, universal masking will still be required of everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in certain indoor settings including public transportation, K-12 schools and childcare, and higher-risk settings such as health care facilities, correctional facilities and homeless shelters, long-term care facilities, and homeless shelters.
  • For the time being, individuals who are vaccinated with a complete initial series or boosted are encouraged to continue wearing well-fitted masks in indoor public settings even where they are not required to do so. for
  • The indoor masking rules are clarified to allow patrons who are vaccinated with a complete initial series or have proof of a recent negative test to remove their masks indoors in locations that the City permits for smoking or vaping (such as cannabis consumption sites, cigar rooms, and facilities allowing smoking steaming stones or non-plant based products for hookah).
• Mega-Events.
  • The update to the Order aligns with the State’s changes to the size of events:  1,000 or more attendees for indoor events, and 10,000 or more attendees for outdoor events.
    • The local order will remove the requirement that hosts or operators of these events submit a health and safety plan to DPH.
  • For entry into indoor mega-events, patrons (as well as staff) must either be up-to-date on vaccination (including boosters when eligible) or provide proof of a negative test.
    • The San Francisco Order will continue for now to be more restrictive than the State order in requiring patrons to be up-to-date on vaccination (including boosters) – rather than just vaccinated with a complete initial series – or test negative, to attend indoor mega-events.  That requirement was in the Order on December 29, 2021 and went into effect February 1, 2022.  The requirement remains because:
      • Case rates, while declining, still place San Francisco in the high/substantial transmission categories under CDC guidelines and could put pressure on the hospitals;
      • These are the largest indoor events in the City with the potential for super spread;
      • While boosters are not 100% protective against infections they offer improved protection against infections over a primary series alone and yet better protection against severe illness that could tax our hospitals;
      • Even though patrons can test as an alternative, tests are not perfectly sensitive – the vaccines (boosters being the highest current level of vax protection) are the more reliable and long lasting prevention tool, and the booster requirement for people to enter without a test still incentivizes people to get boosters and have that better protection for the attendees as a whole; and
      • Attendees arrive from all over the US and the world, and new variants continue to be a concern.
    • As noted under No. 6 below, the definition of “up-to-date on vaccination” is being clarified, allowing patrons or staff to enter without a test as soon as they get a booster (rather than having to wait seven days after the booster).  Someone who is vaccinated with a complete initial series under the order’s definition (meaning completion of the initial vaccination series) and booster-eligible but not yet boosted is not up-to-date on vaccination and must have a negative test to enter.  Someone who is vaccinated with a complete initial series but not yet booster-eligible is up-to-date on vaccination and does not require a negative test to enter.  As described in No. 1 above, patrons who are vaccinated with a complete initial series (even if not boosted) can remove masks inside the facility, if the particular facility allows them to do so (though they are encouraged not to do so for the time being).
    • Also as noted in No. 6 below, for pre-entry testing requirements, consistent with State requirements, third-party verification will continue to be required for antigen tests, for now.
    • Staff no longer need to qualify for a religious or medical exemption to be eligible to provide proof of a negative test in lieu of proof that they are up-to-date on vaccination.  But individual hosts and operators of indoor mega-events retain the ability to impose more health protective requirements on staff.
  • For admission to outdoor mega-events, patrons and staff are encouraged to provide proof of vaccination or negative testing (but they are not required to do so).
• Indoor Restaurants, Bars, Gyms and Fitness Centers, Theaters, Clubs, and Entertainment Venues.
  • Under San Francisco’s Order, patrons (as well as staff) continue to have to be vaccinated with a complete initial series or provide proof of a negative test for entry inside restaurants, bars, gyms and fitness centers, theaters, clubs, and entertainment venues.  (The State’s Beyond the Blueprint guidance does not cover these facilities unless they are hosting an indoor mega-event.)
  • Boosters are still not required of patrons or staff of these facilities.  But boosters continue to be strongly encouraged.
  • Patrons (and staff) are no longer required to have a medical or religious exemption to qualify for negative testing as an alternative to providing pre-entry proof that they are vaccinated with a complete initial series.
  • As noted below, using an antigen test for pre-entry proof of a negative test requires third-party verification, for now.
  • As noted in No. 1.a.iii above, businesses and government agencies separately may allow anyone who is vaccinated with a complete initial series or up-to-date on vaccination (including boosters) to remove their mask, subject to current Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards for employees.  People who are not vaccinated with a complete initial series must keep a mask on indoors, unless they are allowed to temporarily remove a mask such as while actively eating or drinking.
• Booster Requirements for Some Personnel in High-Risk Settings
  • Consistent with the State allowance for critical staffing shortages, personnel who are covered by the local Order and not the State order – such as police, firefighters, paramedics and EMTs, deputy sheriffs working in non-health care settings in jails, and other people who visit high-risk settings as part of their jobs – must still receive boosters when eligible beginning March 1.  But there is a temporary exemption if all three of these criteria are met:  (1) there is a critical staffing shortage as determined by the department head, (2) personnel may continue to work in the settings only if they are vaccinated with a complete initial series, asymptomatic, and wear a high-quality mask and test, and (3) the exemption expires on April 15, 2022. 
• Ability of Individual Businesses and Others to Adopt More Health Protective Requirements
  • Individual businesses, government agencies, and other owners and operators of facilities can still decide to impose their own health requirements that are more protective of public health than the local and state orders.  For example, a business can decide that everyone must wear a mask when indoors.  Or an operator of a facility can require everyone to be up-to-date on vaccination to enter inside the facility. 
• General Clarifications
  • The order’s definition of “up-to-date on vaccination” will be clarified to provide that a person is up-to-date as soon as that person receives a booster, no longer having to wait seven days after the booster to be considered up-to-date.  This change will affect the requirements under the San Francisco order for entry into indoor mega-events.  (For the booster requirement starting on March 1 for personnel in designated high risk settings, the existing San Francisco order already aligns with the State rules by stating that personnel in those settings are up-to-date on vaccination as soon as they receive the booster shot.) 
  • The Order pivots from the definition of “fully vaccinated” to the newer term “vaccinated with a complete initial series.”  Both terms continue to mean two weeks after completing the entire recommended initial series of vaccination with a vaccine authorized to prevent COVID-19 by the FDA, including by way of an emergency use authorization, or by the World Health Organization (WHO), and usually one dose of Johnson & Johnson or two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna.  These terms stand in contrast to the term “up-to-date on vaccination,” which includes a booster if the person is eligible.
  • The Order adds a new term “unvaccinated” to mean a person who is not vaccinated with a complete initial series, regardless of any exemption.
  • For testing requirements for patrons to enter indoor mega-events and indoor restaurants, restaurants, bars, gyms and fitness centers, theaters, clubs, and entertainment venues, third-party verification will continue to be required for antigen tests for now, meaning a third-party observes or administers the test and provides documentation that can be shared as proof of the negative test.  This clarification, which is consistent with State rules, is relevant for these settings where unvaccinated people are allowed to enter with a negative test.
  • Signage requirements for personnel/staff break rooms are removed.  Signage is still required for patrons at public entrances regarding, as applicable, masking and any requirements for entry (along with a suggested template for businesses to post at patron entrances). 
  • As to employees, the masking and other health related rules outlined in this summary above remain subject to any Cal/OSHA or other state rules requiring employers document the vaccination status of their personnel.
  • The masking and pre-entry requirements for indoor mega-events and other covered indoor settings remain subject to review and potential revision by the Health Officer based on changing health conditions, and if health conditions continue to improve in the future may be further eased.

• Are rapid antigen at-home tests, not PCR
• Can be taken anywhere
• Give results within 30 minutes (no lab drop-off required)
• Work whether or not you have COVID-⁠19 symptom
• Work whether or not you are up to date on your COVID-⁠19 vaccine
• Are also referred to as self-tests or over-the-counter (OTC) tests

• ZSFG (1001 Potrero Ave, Bldg 30)  
• Southeast Health Center (2401 Keith Street) 
• Chinese Hospital (845 Jackson Street)
• Kaiser Tent (2350 Geary Blvd)
• Mission Wellness Pharmacy (2424 Mission St.)
• HealthRight 360 (1563 Mission St.) 
• All DPH neighborhood sites

• https://sf.gov/topics/coronavirus-covid-1
• https://www.sfcdcp.org/communicable-disease/diseases-a-z/covid19whatsnew/
• https://www.sfcdcp.org/infectious-diseases-a-to-z/coronavirus-2019-novel-coronaviru
• https://sf.gov/resource/2021/covid-19-data-and-reports

Due to the nationwide AT&T 3G shutdown on February 22, 2022, over 650 NextMuni displays that are currently utilizing AT&T 3G modems will no longer be able to display real-time Muni vehicle arrival predictions or other information. The push-to-talk buttons at shelters using 3G modems will also be inoperable. This outage will NOT impact online real-time information provided on mobile and web formats.  

To address this situation, the SFMTA is:  

• Expediting delivery and installation of new replacement displays procured under the Next Generation Customer Information System (CIS) project.   

• Upgrading modems in existing displays from 3G to 4G to maintain predictions while awaiting the new replacement displays.   

• Providing physical static signage at affected stops and platforms indicating how riders can obtain real-time information in other formats, including by web, text and phone.    

As part of the Next Generation Customer Information System project, the SFMTA is ordering over 700 new Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) displays to display real-time information at Muni transit shelters. Approximately one-third of these displays will be double-sided to provide additional visibility at the highest-ridership stops and major transfer points. 

The LCD displays will replace existing NextBus Light Emitting Diode (LED) displays, many of which have been in service for two decades and have reached the end of their lives. These LED displays are no longer manufactured. 

An extensive public outreach effort helped provide the new display’s overall design and other Customer Information System elements.   

Key features of the new displays include: 

• 24-inch LCD screens with vandal-resistant tempered glass 

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant text-to-speech capability 

• Larger and clearer text 

• Letters and characters in multiple languages 

Unfortunately, the pandemic and global supply chain issues have impacted the manufacturing and delivery of the new replacement displays and brackets to mount these displays. Our display supplier has shipped over 150 of these displays. Once brackets arrive, the SFMTA will coordinate with Clear Channel and start to install them. This effort is currently anticipated for late February and will continue into the spring.  

Manufacturing and installation will continue for all display types – including double-sided shelter displays for higher ridership stops, surface rail station signs, and underground rail station displays – for another year. Our contractor, Cubic, is working with its suppliers to reduce this timeline contingent upon easing of global supply chain issues. The SFMTA is prioritizing display installations in shelters based on serving equity neighborhoods/or routes, as well as less frequent services where customers experience the longest waits. The rationale for those priorities is to minimize inconvenience for as many customers as possible with an emphasis on equity populations.

The Community Ambassadors Program (CAP) is seeking applicants for their program!  CAP is a community safety and neighborhood engagement job training program developed and operated by the City & County of San Francisco Office of Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs (OCEIA). 

Community Ambassadors work in diverse neighborhoods to promote safety and connect people to services. Ambassadors help San Franciscans that are low-income, experiencing homelessness, speak a language other than English, older adults, and more.

Ideal candidates for this position: 

Live in San Francisco 
Can work up to full time, Monday to Friday, including some evenings 
Have a strong interest in working with the public and vulnerable populations
Ability to read, write and speak English well

Preferred skills or experience include: 

You graduated high school or have a GED
You experience with community outreach, security or customer service 
You are bilingual

If you or someone you know is interested in applying, please click HERE to get started! 

For questions, email community.ambassadors@sfgov.org.