San Francisco Bars Will Ask For Vaccination Proof Starting Thursday

Jamie Ferrell - Senior Staff Writer • July 27, 2021

Hundreds of San Francisco bars will begin requiring vaccination proof at the door.

The San Francisco Bar Owner Alliance is a group consisting of over 300 bars and restaurants in San Francisco, and they’re about to enforce more stringent entry requirements for patrons. As the Delta variant spreads, concern over staff and client safety has motivated many bar owners to require proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test upon entry.

The Alliance announced that they were considering putting this plan into effect last week, and they have now decided to start enforcing it on Thursday, July 29. The bars will participate on a volunteer basis, so it is not clear exactly how many will do so. Individuals without vaccine proof or a negative test may be allowed to sit outdoors, but not enter the establishment.

This is a responsible decision by the SF Bar Owner Alliance that will help protect employees and customers.

We need everyone to get vaccinated, especially as the Delta variant continues to spread. It’s how we can keep our city and our residents safe. https://t.co/RAENDN4SrK

— London Breed (@LondonBreed) July 26, 2021

“The government everywhere — from the feds to the state to the locals — have been so nice to people who won’t get vaccines and I think that needs to stop,” SF Bar Owner Alliance founder Ben Bleiman told SFGate last week. “We need to start playing hardball with them, they’re a bunch of assholes, and you can quote me on that. And I’m not talking about the people who can’t get [the vaccine], I’m talking to the people who can and choose not to. They’re selfish and they’re ignorant and they’re putting us all in jeopardy and making it harder for all of us to recover from this. And we need to stop treating them like they just don’t have the right information. The information is right there, it doesn’t lie. And they need to stop thinking that they know more than the scientific experts.”

San Francisco is one of the most vaccine-willing cities in the US, with 83% of San Franciscans over 12 having received at least 1 dose. That being said, the virus can still spread in mixed crowds of vaccinated and unvaccinated patrons, and the delta variant proposes a significant threat.

The Delta variant is here and it’s spreading faster than what we experienced in previous surges.

If you’re not vaccinated, it is likely not a matter of if you will get it, but when, and how bad it will be when you do.

We need everyone to get vaccinated today.

— London Breed (@LondonBreed) July 20, 2021

SF Mayor London Breed has been pushing for unvaccinated individuals to get a move on. Although the city does not require vaccination proof upon entry to bars and restaurants, business owners have finally taken it into their own hands. You can download the HealthPass CLEAR app so that you always have your vaccination proof with you. If you still need to get vaccinated, learn all about it here.

Featured image: Photo by Hari Nandakumar on Unsplash