Name: How safe are outdoor gatherings? Bay Area struggles to find the balance
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How safe are outdoor gatherings? Bay Area struggles to find the balance

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This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateIs the risk of coronavirus transmission lower outside?Health experts have said yes, but as the virus continues to tear across the Bay Area, officials are asking residents to cut back on .Weekend parties at popular outdoor spots like in Oakland and Dolores Park in San Francisco, in particular, are being blamed for a spike of new COVID-19 cases. And California’s wavering reopening guidelines are likely leading to the confusion among stir-crazy residents.The science remains the same: The virus doesn’t spread as easily outdoors as it does indoors, but it can still spread. The way people act significantly affects risk.“People being out in the park, wearing masks and walking by each other is quite safe, as long as they’re being thoughtful,” said , chairman of the UCSF Department of Medicine.Problems arise when people disregard the familiar safety guidelines: Avoid crowded spaces, practice good hygiene, avoid sharing food and utensils, and maintain a physical distance of at least 6 feet when around people who are not members of your household.Many of the gatherings in Bay Area hot spots have become unregulated, with people disregarding face-covering mandates and socializing with large groups.At Lake Merritt on a recent weekend, nearly 60 vendors unlawfully sold food, alcohol, cannabis and merchandise in parking lots, drawing .“People can be in household clusters, but they really should not be interacting unmasked closer than 6 feet,” said John Balmes, a pulmonary physician and professor of medicine at UCSF. “We know those kinds of activities are the super-spreaders.”Coronavirus PandemicLocal law enforcement agencies and municipal departments are hoping to remedy the spate of bad behavior with renewed campaigns stressing the necessity of face coverings and social-distancing protocols.Piedmont officials closed off access to the Linda Beach play area as of Friday afternoon until further notice, saying people continued to play group sports at the site despite repeated warnings.“We regret having to take this action, but the actions of field users have necessitated it,” officials said.Marin and Napa counties have authorized for residents and businesses that violate coronavirus health orders, with fines up to $10,000. Contra Costa County is also considering similar penalties in a vote set to take place on Tuesday.From a personal risk perspective, there are other factors to consider, too.While outside airflow can help disrupt distribution of the virus, the chance of transmission increases significantly the longer you are stationary next to another person, especially if they are talking or laughing. Normal speech can release thousands of droplets that can remain suspended in the air for up to 14 minutes and be transmitted over long distances, according to .Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Area’s largest water districts.“The 6-feet rule is not an insurance policy,” said Eric Feigl-Ding, a senior fellow with the Federation of American Scientists and an epidemiologist at Harvard University. “It’s a little bit of harm reduction.”The rate of COVID-19 transmission in the Bay Area is also rapidly increasing. The number of patients with COVID-19 in the region’s hospitals rose from 749 on Saturday to 759 on Sunday, and San Francisco reached a new high of 99 hospitalizations on Sunday. The city's previous record, 97, was set on Thursday.Health care experts say a region is safest when the positive test rates are at 5% or lower, meaning it is less likely you will come into contact with someone who is infected. The current seven-day average for , which means activities that might have felt safe a few weeks ago could now be contributing to the rise in new cases.“We are taking a look to see if this increase in cases is driven by outdoor dining,” said Dr. Grant Colfax, director of the San Francisco Public Health Department.There is little data on the impact of the Black Lives Matter on the spike in new cases, with many civic leaders saying there is no conclusive evidence.A team of economists, who published their findings in a 60-page paper released by the , found the demonstrations did not lead to a jump in cases.That could be because many people in the crowds wore face coverings and kept moving, helping disperse the virus particles even though they were talking loudly.“The risk depends on how many people in the crowd are carrying the coronavirus,” said Dr. Tomás Aragón, San Francisco’s health officer. “If very few people are carrying, you’re probably going to be fine. But we don’t know, and that’s the problem. The few people that might have it, they’re the ones you hope wear their mask.”Aidin Vaziri is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email:Updated to include drought zones while tracking water shortage status of your area, plus reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Area’s largest water districts.

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateIs the risk of coronavirus transmission lower outside?Health experts have said yes, but as the virus continues to tear across the Bay Area, officials are asking residents to cut back on .Weekend parties at popular outdoor spots like in Oakland and Dolores Park in San Francisco, in particular, are being blamed for a spike of new COVID-19 cases. And California’s wavering reopening guidelines are likely leading to the confusion among stir-crazy residents.The science remains the same: The virus doesn’t spread as easily outdoors as it...

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Aidin Vaziri

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How safe are outdoor gatherings? Bay Area struggles to find the balance

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