San Francisco Now Requiring Face Coverings at Work & in Public

On July 22, 2020, Well being Officer Tomás J. Aragón of the Metropolis and County of San Francisco issued Public Well being Emergency Order No. C19-12c, entitled, “Order of the Well being Officer of the Metropolis and County of San Francisco Usually Requiring Members of the Public and Employees to Put on Face Coverings.” This order replaces San Francisco’s earlier face masking order, issued on Might 28, 2020, and have become efficient at 11:59 p.m. on July 23, 2020.

By this order, San Francisco makes clear that it expects staff to put on face coverings besides in very restricted circumstances. In response to the order, “[e]veryone should put on a [f]ace [c]overing within the office besides when in a totally enclosed personal house or an remoted space not recurrently utilized by others.” Moreover, the order requires that “[e]veryone should put on a [f]ace [c]overing when in shared areas of buildings together with lobbies, widespread rooms, hallways, laundry areas, meals preparation areas, and loos.” The order states that “[p]eople might take away their [f]ace [c]overing when they’re outside if they’re alone or with solely members of their family or residing unit and no person else is inside six toes.” Equally, people might take away their face coverings when they’re consuming or consuming, whether or not indoors or outside, and nobody else is inside six toes.

The order contains sure exceptions that apply to the office. People who can present they’ve “a written exemption from a healthcare supplier primarily based on a incapacity, medical situation, or different situation that stops them from carrying a [f]ace [c]overing [need not] put on one.” Workers additionally don’t have to put on face coverings whereas working if to take action “would create a threat to the particular person associated to their work as decided by native, state, or federal regulators or office security pointers.” People who’re exempt from carrying a face masking similar to a masks “nonetheless should put on another face masking, similar to a face protect with a drape on the underside edge,” except they’ll present both a written medical exemption or that carrying one whereas working would create a work-related threat to them as decided by authorities regulators or office security pointers.

The order additionally makes clear that San Francisco expects companies to implement face masking necessities for each staff and prospects. Companies should “[r]equire their staff, contractors, house owners, volunteers, gig staff, and different personnel to put on a [f]ace [c]overing on the office and when performing work off-site always,” though with allowances for the exceptions included within the order.

As well as, companies should “[t]ake affordable measures, similar to posting indicators, to remind prospects, purchasers, guests, and others of the requirement that they put on a [f]ace [c]overing whereas within or ready in line to enter the enterprise, facility, or location.” Additionally they “should take all affordable steps to ban any member of the general public who is just not carrying a [f]ace [c]overing from ready in line or coming into.” Companies should not serve people who is not going to put on face coverings and “search to take away [those] particular person[s].”

The order states that failure to adjust to any of its provisions of “constitutes an imminent menace and fast menace to public well being [and] constitutes a public nuisance.” Violating the order is “punishable by wonderful, imprisonment, or each.”