DPH honors ambulatory teams and reports improving COVID metrics as mask rules shift
February 15, 2022 | San Francisco City, San Francisco County, California
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The San Francisco Health Commission opened with employee recognition awards for Department of Public Health teams that led pandemic response efforts and then received a COVID‑19 update from Director of Health Grant Colfax.
President Bernal and other commissioners recognized Jail Health Services for intake testing, isolation and contact tracing during COVID surges; Vice President Lori Green said the jail team’s work likely saved thousands of lives. The commission also honored the Southeast Health Center for standing up alternate testing sites, a field care clinic, and vaccine delivery (commissioners cited more than 55,000 vaccines and nearly 28,000 tests attributed to the center) and recognized the Primary Care Leadership Team for its role in the network’s testing and vaccine efforts.
Director Grant Colfax reviewed key COVID indicators: San Francisco’s death rate per 100,000 was reported at 86.9 and the city’s initial‑series vaccination and booster rates are high relative to comparison jurisdictions; case rates fell from a peak above 270 per 100,000 to roughly 40 per 100,000 and hospitalizations declined from a surge peak (286) to 177. Colfax said boosters remain widely available and that San Francisco plans to align many indoor mask rules with the State effective Wednesday, Feb. 16: vaccinated individuals will largely no longer be required to wear masks indoors, unvaccinated people over age two must continue to mask in all indoor settings, and high‑risk indoor settings will remain subject to state requirements. The city will also continue to require proof of vaccination or a recent negative test to enter restaurants, bars and gyms, and the definition of “mega event” will move to 1,000 attendees to align with the state.
During the director’s report, public commenter Patrick Monette Shaw pressed DPH on a prior records dispute, alleging that Epic Systems told him discharge data are stored in structured fields and accusing DPH of misrepresenting that those fields could not be exported. The commission acknowledged the comment but did not take additional action on the record at the meeting.
Commissioners thanked award recipients and department staff, and the meeting moved on to other agenda items.
President Bernal and other commissioners recognized Jail Health Services for intake testing, isolation and contact tracing during COVID surges; Vice President Lori Green said the jail team’s work likely saved thousands of lives. The commission also honored the Southeast Health Center for standing up alternate testing sites, a field care clinic, and vaccine delivery (commissioners cited more than 55,000 vaccines and nearly 28,000 tests attributed to the center) and recognized the Primary Care Leadership Team for its role in the network’s testing and vaccine efforts.
Director Grant Colfax reviewed key COVID indicators: San Francisco’s death rate per 100,000 was reported at 86.9 and the city’s initial‑series vaccination and booster rates are high relative to comparison jurisdictions; case rates fell from a peak above 270 per 100,000 to roughly 40 per 100,000 and hospitalizations declined from a surge peak (286) to 177. Colfax said boosters remain widely available and that San Francisco plans to align many indoor mask rules with the State effective Wednesday, Feb. 16: vaccinated individuals will largely no longer be required to wear masks indoors, unvaccinated people over age two must continue to mask in all indoor settings, and high‑risk indoor settings will remain subject to state requirements. The city will also continue to require proof of vaccination or a recent negative test to enter restaurants, bars and gyms, and the definition of “mega event” will move to 1,000 attendees to align with the state.
During the director’s report, public commenter Patrick Monette Shaw pressed DPH on a prior records dispute, alleging that Epic Systems told him discharge data are stored in structured fields and accusing DPH of misrepresenting that those fields could not be exported. The commission acknowledged the comment but did not take additional action on the record at the meeting.
Commissioners thanked award recipients and department staff, and the meeting moved on to other agenda items.
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