Bay Area/ San Francisco
Published on July 07, 2020
Breed puts indoor dining, outdoor bars on hold, citing spike in COVID-19 casesPhoto: Teresa Hammerl/Hoodline

Mayor London Breed announced Tuesday that the city won't allow indoor dining and outdoor bars to reopen on July 13, as previously scheduled.

"We were doing well in terms of the numbers," Breed said during a press conference. But the city "saw a spike" in recent weeks, and health officials don't want to add fuel to the fire

The number of new daily cases per 100,000 San Franciscans has risen to 6.1, far exceeding the city's goal of 1.8. Currently, 68 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 in San Francisco. (13 of them were transferred from other counties.)

In total, San Francisco has recorded 4,020 cases of COVID-19. 50 people have died. 

Breed says that officials are still evaluating the return of other businesses that were set to reopen on June 29, including hair salons, barbershops, indoor museums, outdoor pools, gyms and the San Francisco Zoo. They'll make a decision by the end of the week. 

"We know the pause on reopening is disappointing, but it is in the best interest of public health," Breed said, noting that outdoor dining and indoor retail will continue. 

SF Department of Public Health director Grant Colfax said that the Fourth of July in San Francisco was far more muted than in previous years.

"[But] unfortunately, there were still dozens of gatherings around the city," with "people not wearing face masks," he said. That could lead to an increase in cases and hospitalizations over the next two to three weeks.

Several Bay Area counties that had opened up indoor dining, movie theaters, zoos and museums have already had to shut them back down, including Marin, Contra Costa and Solano counties. San Quentin State Prison has also seen an outbreak, with 1,369 inmates testing positive for COVID-19. Six have died.

"We want to keep the people around us safe," Breed said, urging San Franciscans to remember "how important it is to wear your masks."

Here are more details on where you can get tested for COVID-19 for free in San Francisco.