This is a newsletter from the San Francisco Office of Small Business. We have reproduced it in its entirety.

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While it’s been a tough few months for our small business community, we are gaining ground and seeing progress around our collective efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. As San Francisco pivots toward economic recovery, Mayor London N. Breed and Director of Health Dr. Grant Colfax announced retail businesses as well as associated manufacturers and warehouses will be allowed to open and operate for storefront pickup and delivery as soon as 10:00am on Monday, May 18, 2020.

Today, the City issued guidelines (also available online at SF.gov/curbside) for retail businesses, as well as associated manufacturers and warehouses. Before a business can open, they must prepare, post, implement, and distribute (for each of their facilities), a social distancing protocol and a written health and safety plan that addresses all applicable best practices that are detailed in the relevant Health Officer directives. NOTE: While the guidance for implementing a social distancing protocol makes a note about limiting customers inside the store, this amended Health Order does not allow customers to enter the store for non-essential retail businesses.

Under the amended Health Order, any retail store in San Francisco that faces the street will be able to operate under the following conditions:

  • Storefront, curbside, or outside pickup only. Customers may not enter the store.
  • No more than 10 personnel may be on site in the retail facility at any time. Smaller stores may need to limit personnel to fewer than 10, to allow for required social distancing.
  • Stores must have access to an adjacent curbside adjacent sidewalk, street, alley, or parking lot for pickup by customers using any form of permitted travel. The pickup area must not block pedestrians, or cause pedestrian or vehicle congestion.
  • Retail stores in an enclosed indoor shopping center may not reopen at this time, except to the extent that the store has a separate entrance to an exterior sidewalk.

Key requirements of the current Health Order remain in place, including requirements to stay home except for essential needs and certain permitted activities, including outdoor businesses and activities. Additionally, San Franciscans must continue to follow social distance requirements and wear face coverings when waiting in line for pickup. Businesses can print out flyers of these key requirements in various languages at https://sf.gov/outreach-toolkit-coronavirus-covid-19.

The Office of Small Business created a list of local providers of personal protective equipment (PPE) to help you easily source these items including sneeze guards. We are extremely grateful to you for being an anchor in our community. While the pandemic isn’t over, the city will continue to monitor its progress and make necessary adjustments as needed. Please remember to follow these procedures to keep the rest of your staff and the public safe and healthy. The well-being of our community is our top priority.

For questions, please contact the Office of Small Business at 415-554-6134 or email us at sfosb@sfgov.org.

To stay up to date on COVIC-19 related announcements and resources, sign up for our e-news at https://sfosb.org/subscribe-small-business-e-news.

In solidarity,

Office of Small Business Staff