It’s Official: SF Indoor Dining And Outdoor Bar Service Are Delayed Again, Indefinitely

Image: kenwalton via Flickr

If you were looking forward to drinking out front of your favorite currently closed bar this Monday, we have a dash of bitters for you. In an announcement this morning, San Francisco mayor London Breed said “it is not safe to move forward with the reopenings that were scheduled for next Monday [July 13], including indoor dining.” That also delays the outdoor bar service that was originally scheduled for June 29, was then postponed to July 13, and is now postponed indefinitely.

Unfortunately the increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in SF, and large spikes throughout CA and the country, have made it so our public health experts feel it is not safe to move forward with the reopenings that were scheduled for next Monday, including indoor dining.

— London Breed (@LondonBreed) July 7, 2020

We still don’t when SF hair salons, nail salons, and massage establishments can reopen. Breed’s full announcement from Tuesday morning states that “The City is currently evaluating other businesses that had been proposed to reopen between June 29 and July 13, including hair salons, barber shops, indoor museums, outdoor pools, gyms, real estate open houses by appointment, and zoos, as part of the Phase 2C reopening. An update on the status of reopening these businesses will be provided by the end of the week.”

Breaking: The reopening of indoor dining in San Francisco will be postponed indefinitely. The previous start date of July 13 has been pushed back due to an upward trend of coronavirus infections. https://t.co/96fAoIEaIk

— Chronicle Food (@SFC_FoodHome) July 7, 2020

The news was leaked yesterday by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, but did not contain information about outdoor bars, salons, and massage establishments.

“The low risk of sending a single uninsured waiter to an ICU bed, someone who isn’t really there by choice, in exchange for the pitcher of frozen margaritas you happen to be craving in the late afternoon, is a morally indefensible transaction.“https://t.co/YC8hWg6gww

— Sasha Perigo (@sashaperigo) July 7, 2020

This does not affect bars and restaurants that are already back open (legally) with patio seating and other permitted arrangements.  Those can remain open as they are, but please be sympathetic toward the staff, as they’re really risking their necks right now.

San Francisco: 6.1 confirmed covid cases per 100,000 people vs. goal of 1.8 per 100,000. Puts us into 'red zone' and is part of reason we are not moving forward with more reopening.

— Reggie Aqui (@reggieaqui) July 7, 2020

As of this morning, San Francisco has 4,020 recorded cases of COVID-19 and 50 deaths. “The gradual reopening of local businesses has been on pause since June 26 and will resume when the data indicate that conditions have improved,” says Mayor Breed’s release.