SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- U.S. San Francisco Mayor London Breed on Friday announced the city's plan for reopening indoor dining.
San Francisco will move forward with indoor dining at 25 percent capacity, up to 100 people, once classified as "orange" on California's tiered system, which will occur no sooner than the end of the month, the announcement said.
San Francisco is currently assigned to the state's "red" tier, which provides the city the discretion to move forward with reopening some activities and services, including indoor salons and gyms.
Based on the state's tiered system, the earliest time that San Francisco will move to the less restrictive "orange" tier is at the end of September.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health is developing health and safety guidelines in coordination with the local restaurant industry in order to prepare restaurants for the safest reopening possible.
"Restaurants have been hit hard by COVID-19. Many have adapted with takeout and outdoor dining, but they've still been barely hanging on and, sadly, some have closed for good," said Breed. "We are laying out the next steps to make sure restaurants are ready to reopen as safely as possible... Helping our restaurant industry survive this pandemic is a key part of our longer-term economic recovery."
The city is working with the Golden Gate Restaurant Association to develop a self-certification process for reopening indoor dining in San Francisco. This process will provide restaurants the information and tools they need to prepare to safely reopen indoor dining with limited capacity and other modifications in place.
Before restaurants can reopen, they will need to complete a self-certification documenting their ability to comply with minimum standards for operating indoor dining in San Francisco.
"Today's announcement brings hope to our San Francisco restaurants and the thousands of workers who need these jobs," said Laurie Thomas, executive director of Golden Gate Restaurant Association.
"The past six months have caused so much pain and financial hardship for many. Having a clear and safe path to move forward with indoor dining, even at a limited capacity, will mean restaurants have the chance to reopen or see a way to not have to close," she added. Enditem
