Dropping these requirements in San Francisco would “allow individuals to make their own decisions to protect themselves and their loved ones,” said Philip.

Berkeley’s announcement spoke about a “shift from requirements to recommendations” that reflected “the current phase of the pandemic, with hospitalizations and severe illness remaining low amidst an ongoing decline in infections.”

“Our COVID tools create a path to navigate the pandemic,” said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, Berkeley’s health officer. “As this latest surge fades, the safe path widens but the risks haven’t disappeared.” She urged residents to continue to get vaccinated and get their booster, and to wear a mask “when needed.”

We’ll update this story if further Bay Area cities or counties decide to roll back their proof of vaccination requirements. In the meantime, if where you live, work or study still requires proof of vaccination to enter bars, restaurants or gyms, here’s how to look up your California vaccine card online.

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San Francisco’s LGBTQ Community, LED by a City Supervisor, is calling on the Federal Government to Greatly Step Up Distribution of Vaccines Against Monkeypox, A Highly Infectious Virus Now Spreading Mostly Through Male-to-Male Sex.

The City is home to more gay, bisexual and trans men than anywhere in the country, supervisor Rafael Mandelman Said Tuesday, which make residents Among the most vulnerable to the virus. Hey introduced a resolution urging the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to Prioritize Vaccine Distribution Based on Risk.

“Gay and Bisexual Men are Once Again Being Failed by our Federal Government,” Mandelman Said on the Steps of City Hall, Invoking Memories of the AIDS Crisis in the 1980s. Hey Joined by the City’s Top Health Officials, Dr. Grant Colfax and Dr. Susan Philip, and Representative of Other Communities at Heighted Risk for Monkeypox, including transgender people and sex workers.

“Wood Monkeypox Receive a Stronger Response if it was not primary affecting queer folks?” Mandelman Asked Rhetorically as Supporters Hissed.

He and other Speakers Drew Comparisons Not only to the Early Years of the HIV Epidemic-When the Government was slow to respond to the public health Emergency Hitting Primarily Gay Men-But to the Covid-19 Pandemic, Where Federal Officials Have Made the Coronavirus Vaccine As easy as possible for everyone to get.

dr Grant Colfax, Director of Health, Speaks During A Press Conference at City Hall in San Francisco on Tuesday, July 12, 2022. Public Health Officials Are Calling for More Support from the Federal Government to Combat Monkeypox.

Brontë Wittpenn/The Chronicle

San Francisco’s Public Health Experts Said They Aren’t Seeing the Feds Prioritizing Monkeypox the Same Way.

“We are literally committed our Federal Partners to Provide More Vaccine,” Colfax Said, noting that the city’s Health Department Has Received only 2,888 Vaccines from the state hair early june – and it look until this week to get 2,300 of them.

Yet the Monkeypox Hotline at the San Francisco Aids Foundation is Ringing Off The Hook, “Getting One To Two Calls Per Minute,” Said Tyler Termeer, Chief Executive at the Agency, which is hosting a Monkeypox Town Hall from 6 To 7 PM Tuesday Evening.

Across the Country, 866 Monkeypox Cases Have Been Reported, including 148 in California, According to the CDC. Of the state’s Cases, 40% are San Francisco-Up Six-Fold in the Last Month, to 60.

On Tuesday, Dr. Erica Pan, State Epidemiologist with the California Department of Public Health, revealed that scientists have detected monkeypox in bay area wastewater surveillance systems, the first search occurrence in the country.

“This implies there’s a lot more disease therene we realize,” She Said in an online health update.

Pan Said the state is giving a vaccine, called jynneos, mainly to people who have been exposed to monkeypox: Lab Workers Who Testing, Doctors and Others Who Treat Infected Patients, and People Who Attended An event Where someeone had a confirmed case.

A Cousin of Smallpox, The Disease Generally is not deadly, and Most People Recover Without Treatment. But its Painful Lesions Can Last for Weeks. Other symptoms include Fever, Headache, Muscle Aches and Chills.

Children and People with Medical Conditions that make them more vulnerable can Have more Severe Cases.

Two Patients are Hospitalized for Monkeypox at UCSF, one of only four or five hospitals in the state with tpoxx, a drug to treat smallpox, said Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, A UCSF Infectious Disease Expert Who Appeared with Pan.

Unlike Covid-19, Monkeypox is not General Transmed Through Respiratory Droplets, Although It Can Be Caight Through Kissing and Breathing at Close Range. It spreads mainly through intimate contact, and most cases so far have be reported among male-to-male partners.

The White House Announced Its Vaccine Strategy on June 28, and Said It will allocate 296,000 doses “Over the Coming Weeks,” and 1.6 million doses “Over the Coming Months.”

People stood in long lines to receives the monkeypox vaccine at san francisco general in San Francisco on Tuesday, July 12, 2022.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Noting that the US Department of Health and Human Services Has Said It Will Buy Enough Additional Vaccine to Fully Vaccinate About 2 Million People Through 2023, Mandelman Said that not Enough.

More than 4.5 Million in the us Say they have sex with other men, The Supervisor Said, Citing A 2016 Study in the Journal Jmir Public Health and Surveillance. The same study indicates that in San Francisco, 18.5% of men have sex with other men.

Having to Wait Five to Seven Days to get Monkeypox test results is a problem because People May Pass Along the Virus Before They have it, Paul Aguilar, HIV Chair of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club, Said From The City Hall Steps, Where he Joined Mandelman.

Philip, the City’s Health Director, Blamed the Testing Problem On a Bottleneck at the State Level But Said New Labs Are Opening, and “We’re Hoping to Speed ​​Up The Process.”

Mandelman’s Resolution would require the board of supervisors to urge the cdc to release a vaccine prioritization plan “Based on the risk of contracting the virus and medical vulnerability.”

The Board Of The Department of Health and Human Services to Buy and Distribute Enough Vaccine for Every At-Risk Person to Easily get it.

The board is expected to vote on the resolution next Week.

Chronicle Staff Writer Catherine Ho Contribued to this Report.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @nanetteasimov

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SAN FRANCISCO — Los Angeles and San Francisco officials took steps Wednesday to end requirements that certain businesses require patrons to show proof of full vaccination as new cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations continued falling.

The Los Angeles City Council ordered the city attorney to craft an ordinance that makes vaccine verification voluntary for indoor areas of businesses such as bars, restaurants and gyms, and eliminates proof of vaccination for large outdoor events.

A final vote will be taken when the ordinance is introduced at a future council meeting. There was no immediate indication of when that will occur.

Proof of vaccination or a negative test will continue to be required to attend indoor “mega-events” with 1,000 or more people in the nation’s second-largest city.

San Francisco on Friday will stop requiring proof of vaccination to enter indoor businesses including restaurants, bars, fitness centers and gyms.

The San Francisco Department of Public Health said it will be up to businesses to choose whether to require proof of vaccination or a negative test from their staff and customers.

Proof of vaccination will still be required to enter indoor “mega” events in accordance with state guidelines, the department said in a statement.

San Francisco was one of the first cities in the country to require proof of vaccination before entering certain indoor businesses. City officials issued the mandate in August as the delta variant spread.

“With cases and hospitalizations continuing to fall and our high vaccination rate providing a strong defense against the virus, San Francisco is ready to further reduce COVID-19 restrictions and allow individuals to make their own decisions to protect themselves and their loved ones,” said Health Officer, Dr Susan Philip.

The vast majority of city residents, or 83%, are fully vaccinated.

The post Los Angeles, San Francisco transfer to curtail COVID-19 vaccine checks appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Los Angeles and San Francisco officials took steps Wednesday to end requirements that certain businesses require patrons to show proof of full vaccination as new cases of COVID-19 and hospitalizations continued falling.

The Los Angeles City Council ordered the city attorney to craft an ordinance that makes vaccine verification voluntary for indoor areas of businesses such as bars, restaurants and gyms, and eliminates proof of vaccination for large outdoor events.

A final vote will be taken when the ordinance is introduced at a future council meeting. There was no immediate indication of when that will occur.

Proof of vaccination or a negative test will continue to be required to attend indoor “mega-events” with 1,000 or more people in the nation’s second-largest city.

San Francisco on Friday will stop requiring proof of vaccination to enter indoor businesses including restaurants, bars, fitness centers and gyms.

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The San Francisco Department of Public Health said it will be up to businesses to choose whether to require proof of vaccination or a negative test from their staff and customers.

Proof of vaccination will still be required to enter indoor “mega” events in accordance with state guidelines, the department said in a statement.

San Francisco was one of the first cities in the country to require proof of vaccination before entering certain indoor businesses. City officials issued the mandate in August as the delta variant spread.

“With cases and hospitalizations continuing to fall and our high vaccination rate providing a strong defense against the virus, San Francisco is ready to further reduce COVID-19 restrictions and allow individuals to make their own decisions to protect themselves and their loved ones,” said Health Officer, Dr Susan Philip.

The vast majority of city residents, or 83%, are fully vaccinated.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Nyce, a 17-year veteran with the force, died of coronavirus complications Saturday at a Manteca, Calif., hospital with his wife by his side.

“He loved being a cop,” his wife, Melissa Nyce, told the Chronicle.

In an email to The Washington Post, Chief Bill Scott confirmed that Nyce, whom he described as a “widely respected colleague,” died Saturday.

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Nyce’s wife declined to be interviewed when contacted by The Post late Wednesday. The San Francisco Police Officers Association did not immediately respond to a message.

Nyce’s death comes as several police departments across the country struggled to enforce city vaccination mandates. In Chicago, days before police officers were due to report their vaccination status following a citywide mandate, the head of its police union urged officers to ignore the deadline and “hold the line.”

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 President John Catanzara told the union members on Oct. 13 not to submit their vaccination statuses. (FOP Chicago Lodge 7)

Nyce, who was raised in San Francisco and later served in the Army, tested positive for the virus last Tuesday, his wife told the Chronicle. His health deteriorated rapidly and by Saturday, his wife called an ambulance to take him to the hospital. He died later that day.

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On Wednesday, the San Francisco Police Department shared the news of Nyce’s death.

“We mourn the loss of our very own, Officer Jack Nyce who passed away this past Saturday,” the department posted on Facebook. “ … He leaves behind many friends, co-workers, and family members that will miss him dearly. Thank you for your service to our city Jack Nyce, you will never be forgotten.”

By September, nearly 200 members of the San Francisco Police Department had applied for a religious exemption from the city’s employee vaccine mandate — the highest number of waiver requests from any city department.

Last week, the San Francisco Police Department announced that as many as 70 sworn and civilian workers had been placed on leave for not meeting the Nov. 1 vaccination deadline, the Associated Press reported. As of Nov. 2, the department said in a news release, 97.5 percent of its employees were fully vaccinated.

Any officers who remain unvaccinated by Nov. 13 will be placed on unpaid administrative leave until the San Francisco Police Commission convenes a hearing.

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Proof of vaccination will be required at indoor bars, restaurants, clubs, theaters and entertainment venues, as well as indoor gyms and other fitness establishments. This does not include individuals ordering or picking up food or drink to go.

RELATED: Hundreds of SF city workers push back against COVID-19 vaccine mandates

San Francisco’s order also creates a new proof of vaccination requirement for large events at indoor venues, requiring attendees who are age 12 or older at events with 1,000 people or more to provide proof of vaccination.

Under the new order, a negative COVID test will no longer be considered an exemption to being fully vaccinated.

“We are not out of the woods as it relates to COVID, we are still going through it,” said San Francisco Mayor London Breed. “Of course, we’re sick and tired of it, but it’s not sick and tired of us.”

The health order will extend vaccination requirements to certain health care providers — including workers at adult day centers, residential care facilities, dental offices, home health aides and pharmacists, who are not included in the state health order on vaccinations.

The mandate does not include children under 12 who are not yet eligible for the COVID vaccine or people picking up to-go food orders.

“We don’t want people to think, a family of four with two kids seven years old that you can’t go to a restaurant – you can,” said Breed. “We know that your children cannot be vaccinated, but the parents will need to be.”

The requirement for patrons goes into effect on Aug. 20 and for staff on Oct. 13.

VIDEO: San Francisco Mayor London Breed announces new vaccination mandate

However, some say they are not prepared to serve guests and check their vaccination status because they are short-staffed.

Danielle Reese owns Queen’s Louisiana Po-boy Café on the Embarcadero.

She fears enforcing the mandate will mean a loss in tourist business.

“We don’t want confrontation with anybody on their political views as far as vaccines go, I’m just here to feed people,” said Reese.

Enforcing the rules is up to the business owners, and as Reese puts it, “We have enough going on as it is now.”

VIDEO: SF restaurant owner fears loss of business over vaccine mandate

As far as the mask mandates, that will remain in place. The health officers’ put the mask mandate in place to deal with the rapid spread of the delta variant, so they will continue to assess the indoor mask mandate.

County health officials say the city’s COVID compliance team, also known as CERT team, will be reactivated on a smaller scale to help with educating businesses. But enforcement on verifying vaccines and exemptions will fall on the individual business owners.

“It’s going to be a little unclear how to deal with an exemption situation,” said Laurie Thomas, the executive director of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. “Each restaurant owner or business might have different legal advice.”

Businesses will be required to check a person’s ID and vaccination card match before allowing anyone indoors.

“If there’s six people in the party and one or two of them don’t have a vaccine card, they’re going to be asked to sit outside,” said Thomas.

RELATED: Fake COVID vaccine card sales are ramping up online, cybersecurity expert says

dr Grant Colfax says vaccinations are strongly recommended but not required for outdoor ‘mega’ events — where 5,000 or more people are attending. For example, vaccinations won’t be mandated for Giants games, but will be mandated for anyone dining indoors at the stadium.

The city is reporting 263 new daily COVID cases and have at least 107 people in the hospital as of Thursday, according to the mayor’s office.

The announcement couldn’t have come soon enough for MX3 Fitness co-owner Dave Karraker.

VIDEO: San Francisco business owners say they’re on board with latest vaccine mandate

“We’re already a health-driven industry and this gives our clients that one more piece of assurance that they are going to be safe when they go into a gym to workout,” said Karraker.

Karraker says his number one priority is the safety of his employees and members.

“We need to take every precaution possible to stop the Delta variant in its tracks.”

Restaurant Owner and Executive Chef Mat Schuster says his business Canela Bistro & Wine Bar started requiring proof of vaccination for customers indoors two weeks ago.

“We saw the writing on the wall and we wanted to be part of the solution,” said Schuster.

Customers will have the option of showing their actual vaccination card or a photo of it. You can also register your vaccination with the state.

Both Karraker and Schuster say they’ll do their best when it comes to verifying what they’re looking at is legit.

“As of now we are asking for pictures and for photo ideas but hopefully that process will get a little bit easier as it becomes more prevalent,” said Schuster.

“I think we really need to trust each other on this,” said Karraker.

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SAN JOSE (KPIX) — The deadline for some Santa Clara County emergency responders to get vaccinated or stay home is fast approaching, and if they don’t show up, there could be gaps in critical staffing positions.

A health regulation comes into effect on Tuesday for all workers in so-called “high-risk” jobs to provide evidence of vaccinations and booster shots or be unable to report to work. This includes medical personnel and firefighters.

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“We really, really hope that people will go ahead and get their booster shots, it’s very simple,” Santa Clara District Attorney James Williams said.

The order has been threatening for months, and fire departments and other agencies are working to verify their employees are complying, but loopholes remain.

“We originally saw a vaccination rate of over 90 percent, and as such, we expect our refresher rates will be similar,” said Erica Ray, a spokeswoman for the San Jose Fire Department.

The department says 634 firefighters were fully vaccinated, leaving 42 short of the published workforce of 676. The department doesn’t know exactly how many vaccinated but not reinforced firefighters there are.

To fill the gap when firefighters can’t show up for work, the city plans to cover shifts with overtime.

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“We relied on our members to schedule extra hours. So we are very
confident in our ability to provide these critical services to our community,” said Ray.

Last week, firefighters from multiple agencies raised concerns that it was dangerous to rely on overtime to cover shifts, urging supervisors to flout the health board and overturn the mandate.

“We have a critical staffing crisis in our rescue system and hospitals. The public is at risk now,” said San Jose Firefighter Barry Arata.

The county holds firefighters’ employers responsible for compliance with the job, not the firefighters themselves.

“We will be proactive in reaching out and making sure people have complied with the order,” Williams said.

MORE NEWS: COVID: UC Berkeley students return to in-person learning after virtual launch

The consequences of non-compliance can range from administrative offenses to fines.

The post Vital Employees Shortages Potential When Santa Clara Co. Vaccine Mandate Takes Impact – CBS San Francisco appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

A San Francisco police officer died Saturday of complications from COVID-19, multiple media outlets reported.

Officer Jack Nyce, 47, worked for the police department for more than 17 years. He was most recently assigned to Park Station, SF Police Chief Bill Scott said in a statement.

Scott didn’t comment on the cause of death, but his wife, Melissa Nyce, told the Stockton Record that he tested positive for coronavirus on November 2 and later went to the hospital with complications from the virus. He died in a Kaiser hospital in Manteca, where he and his wife lived.

“Nyce was among 41 officers who were furloughed for failing to meet the city’s Nov. 1 immunization deadline,” NBC Bay Area reported.

The San Francisco Police Officers Association honored Nyce in a statement.

“Our heartfelt condolences go out to Jack’s wife, family and friends,” said Tony Montoya, president of the association. “This is a sad time for our department. Jack leaves a void that will be difficult to fill. Rest in peace, Officer Nyce.”

SFPD said it will share more information about plans for Nyce’s memorial as it becomes available. “In the meantime, please keep Jack, his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” Scott said.

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through: Aaron Tolentino, Nexstar Media Wire

Posted: Oct 19, 2021 / 3:20 PM PDT
/ Updated: Oct 19, 2021 / 7:15 PM PDT

An In-N-Out burger location was shut down by the San Francisco Department of Public Health last week because staff failed to properly verify customers’ vaccination records, the popular burger chain said in a statement.

In-N-Out said it duly posted signs of local vaccination regulations but refused to strictly enforce them, reports the KTLA sister station KRON.

“We refuse to become a government’s vaccination police,” said Arnie Wensinger, In-N-Out’s chief legal and business officer. “We strictly contradict any government dictation that forces a private company to discriminate against customers who choose to patronize their business.”

Since August, San Francisco has required proof of vaccination for people entering certain indoor businesses, including bars, restaurants, gyms, and major events.

Similar guidelines will apply in the city of Los Angeles, which is home to many In-N-Out locations, effective November 4th.

Located on San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf, the restaurant has since reopened, but with no indoor dining. The restaurant is the only in-n-out location in San Francisco.

KRON reached out to the city health department for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

In San Francisco, according to the city’s latest data, 83% of eligible residents 12 and older are fully vaccinated.

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