Disease Prevention and Control, San Francisco Department of Public Health

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information for the Public

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Go To SFCDCP.ORG COVID-19 Page For Schools
Go To SFCDCP.ORG COVID-19 Page For Health Care Providers
Go To SFCDCP.ORG COVID-19 Page For Businesses, Employers and Employees

COVID-19 Quick Links for the Public

See What's New

Return Safer Together

Capacity restrictions have been lifted. For information on what restrictions may remain, please refer to the Safer Return Together Health Order.  Also, see Frequently Asked Questions for San Francisco’s Safer Return Together Health Order.  For current directives and the list of rescinded directives, visit www.sfdph.org/directives.

Core Guidance During the COVID-19 Pandemic

After June 15, 2021, many of SFDPH’s COVID-19 guidance documents will not be updated unless necessary. All SFDPH COVID-19 guidance documents are clearly marked to indicate the time of the last update. Documents that are no longer applicable will be removed.

Interim Guidance: Core Guidance During the COVID-19 Pandemic (SFDPH) This is a summary of core guidance about COVID-19, how it is spread, and how to prevent it, including concise information about vaccination, contact tracing, and ventilation. This document will continue to be updated even after many I&G documents are retired.

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Information and Guidance

COVID-19 Vaccine Information

Vaccine Resources for People Under 18

COVID-19 Vaccine for Children

Why is it important for children to get vaccinated now?

Vaccine Benefits

Life After Vaccination

COVID-19 Symptoms in Children

 mRNA vaccines

Considerations for Underlying Health Conditions

Travel

How to Get Vaccinated

 Minor Consent to Vaccination

Allergies

 Clinical Considerations

General Vaccine Resources

The following resources are prepared for patients and the general public on the COVID-19 Vaccine. For more information about local COVID-19 vaccine efforts, visit https://sf.gov/information/about-covid-19-vaccines

Center for Disease Control FAQ. Available in Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese and Korean. Other languages available through google translate.
California Department of Public Health FAQ.  Google translate available.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health FAQ, with Printable Version. Available in Chinese, Spanish and Tagalog. See link for other languages.
Center for Disease Control, Handout: What to Expect After Getting The Vaccine. Available in Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese and Korean. Other languages available through google translate.
FDA, Handout: Pfizer Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers. Available in Chinese, Spanish and Tagalog. See link for other languages.
FDA, Handout: Moderna Fact Sheet for Recipients and Caregivers. Available in Chinese, Spanish and Tagalog. See link for other languages.  
CDC, Pregnancy and Vaccination

Travel

For more information on traveling during the pandemic:

Isolation (for confirmed positive cases) and Quarantine (for close contacts)

Isolation and Quarantine Guidance (SFDPH, 8/17/21)

The following have been consolidated into the SFDPH Isolation and Quarantine Webpage.

  • Home Isolation and Quarantine Instructions (SFDPH,  Retired 7/30/21)
  • Interim Guidance: Ending Isolation or Returning to Work for Those Who Have Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19 (SFDPH, Retired 7/28/21)
  • Guidance on Quarantine Duration for Close Contacts of COVID-19 Cases  (SFDPH, Retired 7/28/21)
  • Frequently Asked Questions for Workers Who Must Isolate or Quarantine Due to COVID-19 (SFDPH, Retired 7/28/21)
  • (BOOKLET VERSION) Caring for yourself and others during COVID-19: Testing, Isolation and Quarantine (SFDPH Retired 7/30/21)

Ventilation Recommendations

  • For Ventilation Guidance, see CDPH Interim Guidance for Ventilation, Filtration, and Air Quality in Indoor Environments
    • FAQs: General Ventilation (SFDPH, Retired 10/8/21)
    • Ventilation for Non-Healthcare Organizations During the COVID-19 Pandemic (SFDPH, Retired 10/8/21)
    • FAQs: Room Air Exchange Rates (“Air Changes per Hour (ACH)”) (SFDPH, Retired 10/8/21)
    • Interim Guidance: Ventilation During the COVID-19 Pandemic (SFDPH, Retired 10/8/21)
    • FAQs: Portable Air Cleaners (SFDPH, Retired 10/8/21)

Cleaning Recommendations

Facility and/or Business Cleaning Recommendations

Household Cleaning Recommendations

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

For PPE recommendations for healthcare workers, see www.sfcdcp.org/hcpPPE

Should I “double-mask” (i.e., wear one mask on top of another)? 

  • Double masking is not always better than single masking especially if you have a very high quality, effective single mask or N95 respirator. Double masking might be more protective than single masking, especially when the top mask helps the bottom mask fit more snugly around your face without gaps. Using two masks made from different materials might also provide improved protection because one mask may capture particles the other doesn’t and vice versa. However, a double mask could become uncomfortable and cause the wearer to remove the masks more frequently, which would be far worse than consistently wearing one mask. The best mask is a mask you will wear consistently. Read more at www.sfcdcp.org/doublemask.

Should the general public wear an N95 respirator?

Properly fitted N95 respirators (sometimes called N95 masks or N95s) offer additional protection from the COVID-19 virus which can get past other types of face coverings. Some occupations have regulations that require the use of N95 respirators given the risks involved in the work (e.g., healthcare workers). Even if your occupation doesn’t require or have a standard to use N95 respirators, you may want to consider using an N95 respirator for extra protection especially if you are unvaccinated for COVID-19 AND:

  • Are at higher risk of severe illness if you get COVID-19 due to age or underlying medical conditions (see sfcdcp.org/vulnerable)
  • Must be in higher-risk situations where you can’t practice ideal safety precautions such as if you must be indoors and can’t maintain 6 feet distance or you must be indoors around people who are unmasked. Examples include:
    • Being indoors around unmasked individuals (e.g., dining, personal services where masks are removed, public transit, etc.)
    • Entering indoor settings where people have been unmasked (e.g., dining, hotel room service, janitors, personal services, etc.)
    • Being indoors with exposure to a high volume of masked people throughout the day (high volume grocery store workers, high volume retail workers, transit operators)
    • Being outdoors around unmasked individuals and at least 6 feet of distance is not maintained (e.g., outdoor dining, personal services where masks are removed, etc.)
  • Must be in a higher risk situation such as being indoors with someone who has COVID-19 or was a close contact of someone with COVID-19

Please be aware that to work effectively to prevent COVID-19, NIOSH-certified N95 masks should be tightly fitted around your face. An N95 mask is not for everyone, is not designed for children, and will increase the work of breathing, which may make it difficult to wear for long periods of time. If you feel worse wearing an N95 mask, do not wear one. For more information on how to properly and safely wear N95 respirators, see Tip Sheet: Safety Information Regarding Voluntary Use of N95 Respirators

Should the general public wear eye protection (e.g., face shield, goggles) to protect themselves from COVID-19?

      There is currently no recommendation that the general public wears eye protection for most day to day activities.  However, your eyes can theoretically be a route of infection for COVID-19, possibly through close contact to an infected person who is not wearing a mask, when they cough, sneeze, or laugh.  You can also be exposed by touching your eyes with your hands if they have been contaminated with COVID-19.  A face shield or goggles (but not regular glasses) could provide protection against these types of exposures. Therefore, individuals, particularly those at high risk of exposure or serious disease from COVID, may decide to wear eye protection in addition to masking, as an extra layer of protection against acquiring COVID-19 infection.

Please note that the documents below are intended for City-operated facilities.

  • Update on Masking: When and How to Use Higher Quality Masks (SFDPH, Retired 9/17/21)
  • Tip Sheet: Safety Information Regarding Voluntary Use of N95 Respirators (SFDPH, Retired 9/17/21)

Electioneering and Elections

  • Safer Voting and Ballot Delivery (SFDPH, 10/26/2020)   Retired 4/29/21
  • FAQ for Electioneering (SFDPH, 9/21/2020)  Retired 4/29/21

Recommendations for Election Officials, Poll Workers and Voters (CDC)

Congregate Living Settings

Interim Guidance and FAQ: Congregate Housing Where Residents have Private Rooms (SFDPH, Retired 7/20/2021)

COVID-19 Guidance for Shared or Congregate Housing (CDC)

See cleaning recommendations

COVID-19 FAQs from the CDC and Websites with Additional Information

The Frequently Asked Questions that were listed on this page have been removed. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).  The CDC and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) update their websites often and have the most up-to-date information on all aspects of COVD-19. For information about local resources please visit the SF.GOV and SFDPH pages dedicated to COVID-19. Direct links to the above-mentioned resources are below.