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COVID: High Percentage of Vaccinated Residents Makes San Francisco a Low-Risk Setting for Summer Fun

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- Once again there are buskers singing in Washington Square park, groceries being loaded into cars for weekend cookouts and mask-free faces on the streets of San Francisco.

Medical experts say Memorial Day 2021 is vastly safer than last year.

"Our cases are so low and we've gotten such great news lately," UCSF epidemiologist Monica Gandhi said.

On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control said unvaccinated children can go mask-free outdoors.

As for your holiday plans?

"Unlike long weekends past this one is going to be a lot different. We have a large portion of the population vaccinated or naturally immune. The chances for transmission events are still there but they are much lower than they have been," UCSF epidemiologist Dr. George Rutherford told KPIX.

The safest option is still to remain outdoors but doctors aren't overly worried about indoor events since 78 percent of San Franciscans have received at least one vaccine dose.

"You can feel comfortable with your windows open. I would definitely have our ventilation going -- we have a lot of ventilation in the Bay Area. And having activities inside. Really, we are at a very low case rate," Dr. Gandhi said.

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