San Francisco loosens masking requirements for some indoor spaces

Office spaces and gyms will no longer require visitors to wear masks indoors starting Feb. 1, according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health. 

Spaces labeled “stable cohorts” — individuals who meet regularly over the course of a season — must require guests to be up-to-date on vaccines and booster shots. Those without the booster will need to wear their face masks and have a negative test. 

Thursday’s announcement comes as cases of COVID-19 have fallen in the Bay Area, and 82% of San Franciscans have received the COVID-19 vaccine, according to city data. 

San Francisco’s health order will update existing guidelines to allow people to attend indoor “mega-events” of 500 people or more with a negative COVID test instead of being up-to-date with vaccination.

SF State President Lynn Mahoney confirmed on Friday that masking rules on campus will not change. This also applies to the Mashouf Wellness Center.

Karina Zamora, a brand ambassador for the Mashouf, said she and her fellow staff members have noticed a drop in gym attendance.

“It has been really dead, that they have very little foot traffic. So I’m guessing it’s out of precautions and fears,” Zamora said. 

Zamora feels indifferent to the change in mask policy for small cohorts, saying that she’ll personally continue to wear her mask because people can be dishonest about their actual vaccination status.

“I feel like the only way we’ll really get past this surge is if we learn to live with it. They’re saying they’re going to loosen up on the mask mandates, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re getting rid of it,” Zamora said.