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DPH announces two buildings for cooperative housing; EPIC goes live in jail health; COVID indicators improving
Summary
Director Grant Colfax reported acquisition of two buildings to create cooperative housing for 26 adults in the city—s mental-health cooperative living program, announced EPIC went live in Jail Health Services Oct. 2, and delivered a COVID-19 update showing falling cases, hospitalizations well below recent peaks, and high vaccination rates.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health (DPH) director, Grant Colfax, told the Health Commission the city has acquired two buildings that will be converted to cooperative housing for 26 adults with mental-health and substance-use disorders as part of the city—s cooperative living model.
Colfax also announced a technology milestone: DPH—s EPIC electronic health record system went live in Jail Health Services on Oct. 2, a change he said will improve internal information sharing and coordination across systems of care.
On the COVID-19 response, Colfax said San Francisco is moving in the right direction: cases fell to 9.1 per 100,000, the reproductive rate was below 1, and hospitalizations were well below the fourth-surge peak (hospitalizations were in the mid-to-low 60s). Colfax reported San Francisco has recorded over 50,000 cumulative COVID-19 cases and 639 deaths. He said 75% of residents of all ages are fully vaccinated and 83% of eligible residents have received at least one dose; DPH reported 7,020 employees confirmed fully vaccinated with 441 pending corrections in the personnel reporting system.
Colfax reviewed booster and pediatric timelines: Pfizer boosters were already recommended for risk groups, while Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster recommendations were expected to move through federal review in mid-October; authorization for ages 5 to 11 was described as likely in November, and DPH plans outreach to schools and communities.
Colfax emphasized ongoing priorities: sustaining capacity for future surges, protecting congregate settings (skilled nursing, shelters, jails), supporting in-person schooling and addressing inequities highlighted by the pandemic.
The COVID update included a brief Q&A on hospitalization risk by vaccination status; Colfax said hospitalization rates among unvaccinated people were roughly eight times higher than among vaccinated residents. No public comment was recorded for this item.
The Health Commission will continue to receive periodic updates as the situation evolves.
