CNN's Jake Tapper took aim at SF on the broadcast last night, showing a live feed of people strolling and jogging on the Embarcadero as if it were a normal day, and asking Dr. Sanjay Gupta if this was at all acceptable.
Because the shelter-in-place order has a fair number of exceptions, including dog-walking and outdoor exercise, San Franciscans haven't entirely been staying indoors. The mayor says this is fine, as long as people socially distance. But Tapper and Gupta have a point at least when it comes to, say, chilling in Dolores Park — as people can be seen doing here on Tuesday via SFGate — or going to a crowded weekend farmers' market. True social distancing will be hard in these places.
But people need to eat and breathe fresh air!
"People have to social distance. They're not doing it, Jake. I'm worried about this now," says Gupta in the clip below. "I still really get the impression people in many places aren't taking this seriously."
"I still really get the impression people in many places aren't taking this seriously," @drsanjaygupta says on many San Francisco residents ignoring the shelter in place order to stay home. "I'm worried these numbers- they keep going up." pic.twitter.com/ltGwFTrk1Q
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) March 18, 2020
Are further lockdown measures in our future? Can you possibly stop people from walking their dogs?
The SFPD said Monday that citations could be a possibility if people aren't complying with the shelter-in-place order, but "we don't want to go there."
And also, that live feed on CNN may have been a touch misleading and sensational – the streets of SF are quite empty. People are mostly complying. And here's another shot of the Embarcadero yesterday afternoon that shows quite a bit of social distance:
You can still go outside for exercise as long as you don't get near anyone. The embarcadero is super nice right now for a run. pic.twitter.com/4Wv0cF7Na5
— Steven Buss 🥑 🌐 (@sbuss) March 17, 2020
Let's try to do better and not crowd into Dolores Park on an upcoming sunny weekend, cool?
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Photo: Steven Buss/Twitter