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San Francisco health officials stop short of reinstating mask mandate as cases rise; public urges transit and school mandates
Summary
The Health Commission heard a detailed COVID update on July 19 and faced sustained public pressure to reinstate indoor mask mandates—especially on public transit and in schools—while health officials emphasized distribution of high‑quality masks and targeted guidance rather than issuing a citywide health‑officer mandate.
Health officials told the San Francisco Health Commission on July 19 that COVID case rates and hospitalizations are rising locally and across the country, but stopped short of recommending a new citywide mask mandate.
Director of Health Grant Colfax briefed commissioners on case metrics, hospital capacity and vaccination coverage, saying San Francisco’s case rate was running around 50.4 per 100,000 residents and noting that reported case counts are an undercount because of home testing. The department reported ICU capacity at roughly 36 percent and medical‑surgical bed occupancy around 17.7 percent.
Dr. Susan Philip, director of population health and San Francisco’s…
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