COVID Delta Variant: San Francisco Bay Area Indoor Mask Mandate May Come This Week
BURLINGAME (CBS SF) -- The San Francisco Bay Area may be on the verge on issuing another indoor mask mandate in light of the highly contagious delta variant.
Currently, counties recommend but do not require people mask up indoors. But that could change as early as Monday, whether you're vaccinated or unvaccinated.
"My understanding is there is going to be an announcement, so we'll see what happens," said San Mateo Supervisor David Canepa.
At Pizzeria Delfina in downtown Burlingame, all workers are masked up on Sunday, and masks are strongly encouraged for indoor diners at the establishment.
"So we put them back on as soon as we found out that the counties were encouraging us to wear masks again," said Manager Jimmy Long. "With new virus strands and what not, just to be safe. We want to keep out employees safe, we want to keep our guests safe."
Right now, 90% of San Mateo County residents are vaccinated.
"Many people not vaccinated, 49% of the people in the United States, not vaccinated. Now is the time, it's more important than ever," said Canepa.
The CDC found in a study Friday that the delta variant may spread as easily among the vaccinated as unvaccinated.
The Bay Area saw a 32% jump in new cases from the previous week.
"I don't think I ever had that overwhelming sense of relief," said Laura Matteucci of Burlingame. "I'm a nurse and I sort of expected this to become endemic. We just have to sort of follow the science, and do what's recommended."
KPIX 5 spotted many people on Burlingame Avenue Sunday evening with their masks on outdoors as well.
"I feel good about it we never took our masks out, we were just always wearing it regardless of what the mask mandate was," said Ruchi Singh of Belmont. "But I think it's important and essential. It will really help us curb this new spread of this delta variant."
The Singh family says they still prefer to eat outdoors because they feel safer.
"We have a good handle, we don't want to lose it, and regress, right?" said Prem Singh. "We don't want to regress and go back to all closed everything and hurt businesses, and so I think if it takes masking to get over this, I think it's the easiest thing to do."
