While San Francisco awaits a promotion to the state's "Yellow" tier, the city is moving ahead with relaxing more restrictions on restaurants and performance venues starting on Thursday morning.
SFist noted the changes last week, but just to recap, as of 8 a.m. on April 15, San Francisco will allow restaurants and bars to begin seating larger parties outdoors, and the former 11 p.m. curfew for restaurants is no more. Indoors, things remain at 50% capacity with no more than six people at a table from up to three different households. But outdoors, as of the 15th, group reservations of up to 25 seated at tables of up to eight people each will be allowed — and the ban on people mingling between tables is being lifted.
Bars can also now seat people outside at tables up to eight people along those same rules.
Music and entertainment venues can reopen at 15% capacity or less, with no more than 200 people indoors, with masks required. But if a venue gets a health and safety plan approved by the city, and requires vaccination proof or a negative COVID test for all attendees, it can welcome people back in at 35% capacity, with ticketed seating. That's what the Chase Center is planning to do at its upcoming Warriors home games beginning on April 23.
Live outdoor events can have a 50-person capacity limit, unless they are ticketed events with assigned seats, in which case they can qualify for larger capacity.
By mid-June, if all goes well, Governor Newsom announced that capacity limits will be lifted for concert venues of all sizes, with some of the above restrictions (and mask requirements) still in place. Still, most local venues are taking a cautious approach and tentatively planning shows for late summer.
Also, with proof of vaccination or negative COVID tests for all attendees, indoor meetings, conferences, receptions, and other private events are allowed to resume with up to 150 people.
San Francisco is still expected to enter the "Yellow" tier, likely by next week. The new tier would not change the 50% indoor capacity limit for restaurants, and the other restrictions mentioned above seem likely to stay in place until June.
One change that may come with the "Yellow" tier is that indoor family entertainment venues, including the Church of 8 Wheels roller skating rink, will get to reopen at 10% capacity.
Under state guidelines, gyms and indoor fitness centers can reopen at 50% capacity, along with locker rooms and steam rooms, in the "Yellow" tier. But we'll have to wait to see if San Francisco decides to keep stricter rules in place.
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