Street life will radically change in San Francisco starting next Monday (May 18th), thanks to new rules permitting most street-fronting small businesses to reopen for curbside pickup and store deliveries.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed made the announcement at a press briefing on Wednesday. "To provide this opportunity to our small business community will be incredible," she said, adding quickly that businesses will still need to adhere to county and state public health requirements concerning mask-wearing and social distancing.
The city had announced that bookstores, florists, and some other retail categories would open for pickup-only on Monday. The new rules, which will be formalized on Thursday, now also include manufacturing and warehouses. They exclude enclosed retail like malls. They also exclude dine-in restaurants.
City officials said the changes were possible because COVID-19 hospitalizations and new case counts are flat. "It means that our city is doing better," said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the Department of Public Health.
The new rules will allow 95% of retailers in San Francisco to reopen. But they limit the number of employees permitted onsite at one time: 10 employees per retail shop, and 50 employees per warehouse.
"I want to caution everybody. The last thing we do is start flooding our streets, and see these numbers go up," added Breed.
— Julia Scott (@juliascribe)