As projected, the COVID-19 related risk level for San Francisco has just been downgraded from “Purple” (Widespread) to “Red” (Substantial), a move which will allow for indoor dining at restaurants and the re-openings of gyms, museums and other indoor attractions, albeit at reduced capacities, as of Wednesday, March 3.

Schools that have yet to reopen will be allowed to reopen with an approved safety plan in place as well.

Real estate showings must still occur virtually, unless a virtual viewing is “not feasible,” and Open Houses remain disallowed.

And if the case rate in San Francisco, which is currently averaging around 70 new cases per day, doesn’t spike over the next three weeks, the city’s risk level will be further downgraded to “Orange” (Moderate), which would allow for the City’s plan for reopening to proceed.

14 thoughts on “San Francisco Drops to the “Red” Tier of Risk”
  1. Meanwhile other states are opening up completely. Which strategy is correct? Only time will tell. But my money is not on California.

    1. How generous of Gov. of Texas to open up his state (while the governor’s office is no doubt still practicing social distancing, telework, and mask wearing)

    2. Florida has been pretty much fully open since September, and their per capita stats are comparable to California’s.

      But no one I know is going back into the office until mask mandates are long gone. I suspect that means sometime in 2022.

  2. Biden just announced that all Americans will have access to a vaccine by the end of May. This story is going to wrap up a lot faster than many of us thought. COVID could be nothing by a memory by September 1st…

    1. I agree that it will take care of the problem for now. But the Rest of world needs to get vaccinated too, or more escape mutations (potentially more dangerous) will arise elsewhere, and eventually make their way back here. its urgent to get rest of world vaccinated by end of year/early 2022 if we really want to put this in the rearview

    2. That would be great. But we aren’t getting to herd immunity without extreme luck and jimbo is right about the rest of the world and variants. I can see both a very different and improved summer and also more problems next winter that are currently being underpriced. But yes- it would be really nice to be past all of this.

      1. agree summer and fall will look great, and winter will be the new test. we will likely all be getting booster shots for South Africa and Brazil variants next winter, but we dont know what other variants will shoot up around the world if we dont control this globally. It may end up like the flu, where we need updated shots every year.

  3. “Real estate showings must still occur virtually, unless a virtual viewing is “not feasible,” …”

    If a buyer says that they cannot assess the condition of the property via a virtual showing does that qualify as “not feasible”? For example I’m inclined to assess the structural integrity of the building which can’t be done via a virtual showing.

    It makes no sense to allow restaurants to open indoor dining at 25% unmasked capacity, but keep real estate showing shut down at 0%, even if everyone is wearing a mask.

    1. The notion of “feasibility” remains undefined and has been rather loosely applied (depending upon the property and agent).

      We’ll also note, while showings (once again, when a virtual showing is “not feasible”) are currently limited to one (1) agent showing the property to a maximum of two (2) people from the same household, the restriction is slated to read, “by appointment without limits to the number of people viewing or showing the property,” as of tomorrow.

      1. UPDATE: Once again, the language from the Mayor’s Office doesn’t match the updated reopening plan related to real estate services. And scheduled showings, “when a virtual showing is not feasible,” remain limited to one (1) agent showing the property to a maximum of two (2) people from the same household and only if the property is unoccupied.

        1. which remains not really a real estate showing. Why is not 25% capacity like everything else? It is not the science.

          1. Why is air travel allowed for non-essential reasons, and at 100% capacity? Science obviously does not play a factor in many policies.

          2. Wait, what? Sparky, you mean that showing 2 people from the same household is “not really a real estate showing?” What would ramping up to 25% capacity (what would that mean in the context of a real estate showing? 25% of the maximum capacity of the home being shown?) actually achieve that would make such showings “real”?

            Do tell. Inquiring minds want to know.

          3. Brahma,

            It would mean that the selling agent could walk around the house with the listing agent and the buyers. They could answer questions, point out features what have you. For a type of house and buyer bringing your interior designer, bringing your extended family, your kids etc. Maybe they want to walk through with the builder or their contractor.

            This is all besides brokers tour where agents would see everything that might fit for various clients. Right now there is no, “Hey, I saw something that doesn’t fit your exact criteria but you are gonna love it”. If a client says I only want Glen Park, the agent will find it hard to say how about Diamond heights.

            Then there is the mentality aspect where a busy open house, even at 25%, creates a sense of urgency that a private walk through never has.

            But simply what I meant was in the current set up the listing agent isn’t Showing the house, they aren’t even in the house at the same time.

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