Public urges San Francisco Health Commission to reinstate indoor mask mandate as COVID cases rise

Deputy Director of Health Navina Bhabha told the San Francisco Health Commission the city’s COVID‑19 case rate has recently been elevated and that the BA.4/BA.5 subvariants are circulating locally, creating a risk of plateauing or rising cases. She said hospitalizations have “crept up a little bit” and DPH is monitoring trends closely while continuing vaccination outreach and booster campaigns.

Bhabha said vaccination rates remain high among older residents and that the department has distributed boosters and pediatric doses; she cited a city figure for second boosters distributed and said further data on newly eligible younger children would be available in the coming weeks. On monkeypox, Bhabha said San Francisco had received a very limited supply of JYNNEOS doses, described eligibility guidance (close contacts, self‑reported exposures and certain laboratory workers), and said DPH had administered a portion of the local stock while working with health systems to expand access.

The commission then heard about 15 minutes of public comment focused on the city’s masking guidance. Raya Small, an organizer with Senior and Disability Action, told the commission that test‑positivity had risen from roughly 10 percent to 15 percent and asked, “Where is the mask requirement?” Shauna Reeves, a geriatric social worker, cited a study and warned about long‑term health consequences after repeat infections, arguing that “masking is the most immediate step” to reduce infections. Yaneer Bariam, a professor and president of the New England Complex Systems Institute who said he was representing community members, urged “broad mask requirements” to protect high‑risk people and reduce long‑term societal costs.

Callers stressed that a “strong recommendation” is not equivalent to a mandate and said many people — including seniors and people with disabilities — still feel unsafe using public transit or attending essential services when masks are not required. Bhabha and others on staff repeatedly thanked callers and said the department takes the public’s concerns seriously, but the record before the commission at this meeting consisted of the update and public comment; the commission did not adopt a new masking mandate at this session.

The Health Commission’s next formal opportunities for action will appear on future agendas; staff said they will continue to monitor case and hospitalization trends and provide updated data to commissioners.