The Bay Area Mask Mandate Is Back In Effect, Even For The Fully Vaccinated

Image: @LondonBreed via Twitter

Well, that was a fun seven weeks acting like the worst of the pandemic was over. But the San Francisco Department of Public Health just announced that the indoor mask mandate goes back into effect on Tuesday, August 3 (technically midnight tonight). San Francisco is one of seven Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Sonoma, plus the City of Berkeley) where face coverings will be mandatory in indoor public settings.

“San Francisco is currently experiencing a surge in new COVID-19 cases and an increase in hospitalizations, mostly among people who are not fully vaccinated, due to the highly contagious Delta variant,” says a freshly published order from the DPH. “The spread of the Delta variant necessitates imposing a face covering mandate for everyone, including people who are vaccinated, to help prevent transmission. Accordingly, this Order adds a face covering requirement for individuals in indoor public settings.”

Just like that, masks are back. Bay Area counties announcing the return of an indoor mask mandate regardless of vaccination status beginning tomorrow. Health officers news conference forthcoming. pic.twitter.com/qvUiD0eKkP

— Mike DeWald (@mike_dewald) August 2, 2021

And yes this also applies to fully vaccinated people. “The Orders require all individuals, regardless of vaccination status, to wear face coverings when indoors in public settings, with limited exceptions, starting at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 3,” according to an announcement.

Look at these goddamned numbers from the official San Francisco case count. When we did the big June 15 reopening, there was an average of just 11 new COVID-19 cases per day. We are now up to 198 new cases a day, and those numbers are probably going to go even higher.

BREAKING: COVID-19 has official endorsed Ron DeSantis for president.

— Middle Age Riot (@middleageriot) August 2, 2021

Last week’s state of California mask recommendation was just that, a “recommendation.” The Bay Area is not fucking around with recommendations, this is mandatory. And if you haven’t been vaccinated yet, here’s where you can get vaccinated for free in San Francisco.