Officials of San Francisco are in a quandary over the reopening of eating joints and indoor dining. It is also planning to hold the reopening of high schools, gyms, and movie theaters. This is because of the unprecedented surge in COVID-19 cases to the extent of 250 percent in less than six weeks. Mayor London Breed confirms there is an uptick. She feels it is a matter of concern and says – "We have to take a moment to recognize that there is a problem."
Restaurants will have to discontinue all indoor dining from Friday November 13.
As far as fitness centers and movie theaters are concerned, they can remain open but would have to reduce their capacity vis-a-vis the present maximum capacity permissible. With regard to high schools, those that are yet to reopen will not reopen. However, schools that are already open can remain open.
COVID-19 or Coronavirus has played havoc with society, and it does not have any known remedy. Scientists are trying to come up with a vaccine, but that is a long drawn process. Therefore, people have to adhere to the norms laid down by the medics. The most important of these is social distancing, which includes a no-no to simple gestures like a handshake or a hug.
People also have to avoid crowded places. This single factor of social distancing has ruined businesses in sectors like travel, entertainment, and sports worldwide.
Daily Mail UK says within the last three weeks, the situation worsened. The number of cases per day per 100,000 people has gone up considerably. Hospitalizations are low, but that is not an accurate yardstick because officials expect this to rise based on infections growth.
The strain on the healthcare system due to COVID-19
In the opinion of an official of the Department of Public Health, San Francisco is in a fall surge that began in late October. The situation has worsened since the summer. Dr. Grant Colfax says: "We are averaging nearly 80 new cases a day now.
Up from just 32 new cases at the end of October." That would put a strain on the healthcare system. He cautions the fall surge will exceed our summer surge unless people realize the dangers. Daily Mail UK adds that if the situation deteriorates, it could mean shutting down for the holidays. COVID-19 outbreak in Utah and Wisconsin led to the culling of thousands of minks.
COVID-19 sees restaurants at the receiving end
Restaurants in San Francisco had heaved a sigh of relief on September 30 when they got permission to reopen indoor dining at reduced capacity. Daily Mail UK reveals the relaxation came after they endured months of closures. There were plans to increase capacity, but that did not happen due to an increase in COVID-19 cases.
The scaling back of reopening plans is a major setback for the city's restaurants. Many of them relied on reopening of limited indoor dining to survive, but their hopes are dashed. These eating joints might face survival problems.
San Francisco faces an uptick in COVID-19 cases
According to ABC 7 News, Mayor London Breed announced the subject of reversing the city's reopening plans. It would ban indoor dining and reduce gyms and movie theaters' capacity with a corresponding loss of jobs for some. With Christmas coming up, that would spoil the mood of the people. A bartender says: "If this restaurant goes down we all go down with it. That's the scariest thing is just all the work we put into staying open during these hard times." Outdoor dining and take-out are exempt from the ban. The Mayor admits many businesses would lose revenue because of the rollback. COVID-19 is a disease that did not spare President Donald Trump, who had to be in the hospital for three days.