San Francisco will postpone reopening of indoor dining, restaurant association says

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Another round of business reopening in San Francisco may soon be delayed amid the worsening coronavirus pandemic.

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Indoor restaurant dining, which was slated to reopen on July 13, will be postponed, says the Golden Gate Restaurant Association.

Hair salons, nail salons, zoos and indoor museums were all scheduled to reopen in San Francisco on June 29, but were also postponed indefinitely as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations started to climb.

"Although this is clearly both a disappointment and a financial blow for our industry, our biggest concerns remain with the health of our workers, patrons and residents of the state. We are encouraged that outside dining is still allowed, and want to remind everyone that city regulations require that all guests must be seated for dining and drinking and that standing and mingling are not allowed," said Executive Director Laurie Thomas in an email to ABC7 News.

City officials declined to confirm the postponement, but offered the following statement:

"What we can say is given the rise in cases and hospitalizations in San Francisco and the Bay Area region, the City is revising plans to reopen indoor dining. Indoor activities and gatherings are among the higher risk activities for exposure and transmission of the coronavirus, which is extremely contagious. We need to put community health first and work together to reduce cases and flatten the curve again. This work is ongoing."

Outdoor dining is safer than indoor dining, the statement from the Emergency Operations Center continued. "A gradual and measured reopening makes it less likely that we will have to roll back our progress. We are relying on the public to follow all of the health guidance, especially wearing face coverings to keep reopening San Francisco."

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As of Monday, San Francisco has 3,992 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 50 deaths.

We expect to hear more from city officials on Tuesday. Stay with ABC7 News for updates.

ABC7 News' Tim Jue contributed to this report.

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