Union Square Businesses Celebrate Expanded Reopening This Monday September 14
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Union Square Businesses Celebrate Expanded Reopening This Monday September 14
11 September 2020 — San Francisco, CA: In a late afternoon press announcement yesterday, San Francisco Mayor London N. Breed, Dr. Grant Colfax, Director of Health, and Assessor-Recorder Carmen Chu, co-Chair of the City’s Economic Recovery Task Force, announced that San Francisco is moving forward with additional loosening of COVID-19 protocols on Monday, September 14 including many businesses in the Union Square Business Improvement District area.
“Union Square is the heart of San Francisco,” said Karin Flood, Executive Director of the Union Square Business Improvement District. “For the last few months, our heart has still been beating, but slowly. Starting Monday, more and more of our businesses will pump a little faster, and with a little more joy, as we cautiously continue to bring back San Francisco, and Union Square, to full speed and full economic health.”
San Francisco’s resumed reopening started on September 1 and will continue on Monday, September 14 with additional outdoor and indoor activities, including services that are opening earlier than the City previously announced. The businesses and services that will resume indoors with limited capacity include hair salons, barber shops, massage services, nail salons, gyms and fitness centers with limited capacity. Only those services where face coverings can be worn at all times by everyone involved will reopen at this time.
As previously announced, hotels, outdoor family entertainment centers, drive-in entertainment like outdoor movies, and outdoor tour buses and boats will also reopen on the 14th under rules for outdoor gatherings. Indoor museums and galleries may submit health and safety plans the week of September 14th and will be able to open as early as September 21st following submission of their plan to the Department of Public Health. Additional services, businesses, and activities will resume over the coming weeks and months as long as San Francisco continues to make progress on limiting the spread of COVID-19.
To support a safer reopening, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development is coordinating the distribution of free personal protective equipment for San Francisco’s small businesses. Small businesses that would like to request a 30-day supply of hand sanitizer, surgical masks, and face shields should coordinate with their nearest participating community-based organization. Program details and availability can be found online at https://oewd.org/free-ppe-available
According to yesterday’s news release from the San Francisco’s Mayor’s Office, The City’s reopening plan is available online at SF.gov/reopening. Reopening is dependent upon San Francisco’s Health indicators remaining stable or improving, and the plan is subject to change. All San Franciscans must do their part to limit the spread of COVID-19, including face masking, social distancing and handwashing. The reopening of most activities and businesses requires limited capacity and health and safety plans. San Francisco continues to evaluate ways to bring higher risk activities, including indoor movies, dining, bars, night life, and offices back safely.
San Francisco’s Path Forward to Reopening:
Monday, September 14 – Low Risk Outdoor and Indoor Activities
- Indoor personal services, such as hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, massage services, tattoo and piercing, with limited capacity
- Indoor gyms, including one-on-one personal training, at limited capacity
- Hotels and other lodging, including short-term rentals
- Places of worship and political activities (one person at a time indoors for individual prayer or campaign office use; up to 50 people outdoors)
- Outdoor tour buses and open-air boats, with limited capacity
- Drive-in movies, with limited capacity
- Outdoor family entertainment, such as mini-golf, batting cages, and go-carts, with limited capacity, (but not amusement park rides and playgrounds at this time)
September 21 – Indoor Museums, Zoos, and Aquariums and TK-6th grade in-person learning
- Indoor museums, zoos, and aquariums at a limited capacity and with a submitted health and safety plan
- In-classroom learning: TK-6th grade on rolling basis with approved health and safety plan
GOAL: End of September, Low Risk Indoor Activities
- Places of worship, with limited capacity (25% of capacity indoors, up to 25 people; up to 50 people outdoors)
GOAL: October, Middle School in-person learning
- Middle schools, in-person learning, on rolling basis with an approved health and safety plan
GOAL: November, High Schools, additional learning activities
- High schools, in-person learning, on rolling basis with an approved health and safety plan