SF Seeks to Prevent Staffing Shortages as Omicron Leads to Unprecedented Surge

Amid a surge of COVID-19 cases successful San Francisco -- with the metropolis seeing much than treble the fig of cases seen astatine this clip past twelvemonth -- metropolis officials connected Tuesday said they're prioritizing metropolis services successful an effort to forestall staffing shortages.

According to the San Francisco Department of Public Health, currently, the metropolis is seeing immoderate 829 caller cases of COVID-19 regular connected average, compared to conscionable 373 cases per time this clip past year.

Although 81 percent of metropolis residents are vaccinated, the highly contagious omicron variant is contributing to the emergence successful breakthrough cases, though astir vaccinated patients lone acquisition mild symptoms, according to wellness officials.

With cases surging rapidly, metropolis officials are acrophobic astir cases among metropolis employees impeding metropolis services.

As of Tuesday, 186 constabulary section staff, including 167 sworn officers, person been exposed to COVID-19 and ordered to quarantine. In addition, 135 occurrence section unit and 85 San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency unit person been required to acquisition quarantine.

"While we're seeing lawsuit numbers scope caller highs compared to adjacent the astir terrible levels during erstwhile surges, we're successful a overmuch antithetic place," Mayor London Breed said during a virtual briefing Tuesday. "The fig of radical successful the hospital, portion increasing, inactive remains beneath wherever we were past winter. And our infirmary strategy has capable beds to grip what we expect to travel successful the adjacent fewer weeks."

In an effort to sphere metropolis resources amid a precocious request for COVID-19 tests, SFDPH officials are asking residents to interaction their backstage wellness attraction supplier for testing.

Last week, SFDPH officials conducted implicit 25,000 tests, doubling the capableness of tests conducted conscionable 3 weeks ago. The metropolis is presently awaiting much trial kits to get sometime mid-month.

Other efforts to sphere metropolis resources see updating the city's Safer Return Together wellness bid by requiring booster vaccine shots for wellness attraction workers, and temporarily suspending a disguise exemption astatine gyms and offices, adjacent with afloat vaccinated groups there, to little the virus' spread.

The metropolis has besides expanded hours astatine SFDPH vaccination and booster sites, among different efforts, metropolis officials said.

"We're not shutting thing down; we're not closing businesses; this is not 2020. But we bash request to bash our portion to forestall immoderate frontline workers from getting sick astatine the aforesaid time. That means, we request to radical to instrumentality steps to debar catching COVID-19 during our surge implicit the adjacent fewer weeks," Breed said. "We person crushed to judge this surge of cases, portion intense, volition beryllium comparatively brief."

"This biggest surge is taxing our metropolis successful caller ways," SFDPH Director Dr. Grant Colfax said. "We judge that the tallness of this surge is upon america and that these adjacent fewer weeks are critical."

San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency officials said portion Muni doesn't program connected suspending immoderate lines, riders could spot immoderate work disruptions.

"At this time, we're not canceling routes oregon changing schedules, but the SFMTA was having staffing constraints anterior to omicron variant and the variant is stretching our quality to present service," said SFMTA Director of Transit Julie Kirschbaum. "Customers whitethorn acquisition longer hold times and we truly admit everyone's patience astatine this time."