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San Francisco health officials warn of COVID-19 surge, pause reopenings and seek testing help
Summary
Department of Public Health officials told the Health Commission that cases and hospitalizations have climbed sharply, prompting a pause in reopening, an order asking private providers to expedite testing for symptomatic people and close contacts, and modeling that shows large potential increases without behavior change.
San Francisco public-health officials told the Health Commission that the city is in a sharp COVID-19 surge and has paused planned reopening steps as hospitalizations and cases climb.
Dr. Colfax, the Department of Public Health director, said the rise in infections began "approximately two weeks ago" and that San Francisco was added to the state watch list because of increasing hospitalizations. He said the department had closed indoor malls and nonessential offices and was emphasizing prevention measures, including facial coverings and social distancing, over relying solely on testing.
"We are seeing a surge in infections, a significant surge," Colfax said, adding that testing demand now exceeds the department's capacity. The department issued a health order asking private providers to offer…
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