Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
London N. Breed San Francisco Department of Public Health
Mayor Grant Colfax, MD
Director of Health
September 9, 2020
Re: Mandatory Temporary Closure of Indoor City Gyms and Fitness Centers
Dear City Department Heads,
As you know, we have collectively been working since February 2020 to address the
coronavirus (SARS‐CoV‐2/COVID‐19) pandemic. The pandemic has presented unprecedented
challenges, and both local and state health officials have issued mandatory restrictions to curb
the spread of the virus. In March 2020, the state issued guidance closing restaurants, bars, and
gyms, and my original stay‐safer‐at‐home order, Health Officer Order No. C19‐07 (issued March
16, 2020), reiterated that gyms and recreation facilities were ordered closed. The first revision
of the stay‐safer‐at‐home order, Order No. C19‐07b (issued March 31, 2020), made this
prohibition on all shared facilities, including gyms, more explicit under my authority as the
Health Officer for the City and County of San Francisco. (See Section 13.a.iii.3 of Order No. C19‐
07b.) That prohibition has continued through each revision to that order, and indoor gyms and
fitness centers are still prohibited by Section 8.i.2 of Order No. C19‐07h. Recent reports suggest
that some City departments continue to allow indoor gyms or fitness centers to operate.
I recognize that there has been some confusion about the interplay between my orders and
the changing State orders and CalOSHA requirements and some question about what is allowed
as Essential Governmental Services under my orders. But the same health and safety concerns
that have compelled me to temporarily close indoor gyms due to potential transmission of
COVID‐19 apply to the operation of the indoor City gyms. Indoor gyms and fitness centers
greatly increase the risk of virus transmission, including from asymptomatic people, due to the
relatively limited air circulation, the increase in particle exhalation due to exertion, and the
increased risk of people touching shared equipment.
Accordingly, by way of this letter, I am directing all City departments to temporarily close
any indoor gyms and fitness centers under their jurisdiction, effective immediately. City
departments may reopen them in the future, subject to the same safety requirements and
approvals that my future health orders and directives apply to private gyms and fitness centers.
In the meantime, I have recently allowed outdoor gyms to begin to operate (see Health Officer
Directive No. 2020‐27), and City departments may comply with that directive to open gyms
outside for safe use. Further, so long as the local health indicators continue to support doing
so, I anticipate that I will issue an order and companion directive targeting the week of
September 14, 2020 to allow for limited indoor use of gyms and fitness centers. When that
occurs, such guidelines, including for example the requirement to post a Health and Safety Plan
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as described in the directive, will also apply to City gyms and other excise facilities at City
departments.
For sake of clarity, this letter’s direction to comply with my prior orders is issued under my
authority as the City’s Health Officer, and violation of this letter’s direction and failure to
comply is a misdemeanor punishable by fine, imprisonment, or both. (See California Health and
Safety Code § 120295, et seq.; California Penal Code §§ 69, 148(a)(1); and San Francisco
Administrative Code § 7.17(b)). The Department of Public Health wants to ensure that the
City’s workforce, including first responders and Disaster Service Workers, are protected from
exposure to the SARS‐CoV‐2 virus given the key role they play in protecting the City and
maintaining the City’s essential services for the public. It is critical for each department to play
its role not only in protecting its own workforce but in also modeling best practices to the larger
community.
If you have questions about this letter, please feel free to contact me through my Deputy
Director, Population Health Division Christine Siador via email at christine.siador@sfdph.org.
And if you need to access any of the orders or directives I have issued during this pandemic,
they are available online at www.sfdph.org/healthorders and www.sfdph.org/directives.
Thanks to each and every one of you for your ongoing collaboration during this local health
emergency. I know that we have all worked in unprecedented ways to fulfill the City’s mission
and to serve our residents, and your cooperation on this issue will further support our collective
efforts.
Stay safe.
Sincerely,
Tomás J. Aragón, M.D., Dr.P.H.
Health Officer, City and County of San Francisco
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