Name: Can you date under S.F.’s shutdown? Here’s what one supervisor thinks the rules mean
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Can you date under S.F.’s shutdown? Here’s what one supervisor thinks the rules mean

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This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigateDating — masked, out-of-doors and kiss-free — is legal again in San Francisco.That’s Supervisor Matt Haney’s lighthearted yet serious interpretation of the which happened quietly Thursday.San Francisco’s health order now says that residents can “meet with 1 other person who doesn’t live with you” to take a walk, “hang out at the park,” and play low-contact sports, such as golf, tennis, pickleball and bocce ball. Health officials say pairs cannot share equipment.It’s a slight easing of the which said that meeting anyone outside your household was barred, even outdoors.In a Twitter thread Saturday, he said he tried — somewhat tongue-in-cheek — to explain the rules, which he believes are overbearing. Among the tweets: “In-person dating is no longer banned in San Francisco. But you can only date outdoors and no double dates.” “Wear a mask. No kissing.” “You can kiss but only if you move in together.” “This is true in most of the rest of the Bay Area and LA too. Except San Mateo and Napa.”While the San Francisco orders do not explicitly detail what’s allowed or prohibited if residents want to date, Haney told The Chronicle that dating parameters are implied.“I said (on Twitter) somewhat jokingly — although I think it’s factually accurate — that the prior order essentially banned dating. If you can’t interact with people of different households, then you can’t date in person,” Haney said. “Now, you can date as long as its outdoors and distanced, and with a mask.”I think we need to give people more ways to interact with each other safely. Dating will happen. People will spend time together. Acting as though it won't is unrealistic, contradictory, and will backfire. So yes I agree these rules are a bit ridiculous.— Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF)Haney said while the amended order marks a “small but important step forward,” he said he hopes San Francisco public health officials consider making the order less restrictive.“Double dates are not allowed because the order says you can only be with one person. So, four people can’t go together to the park under this order, still,” Haney said, chuckling. “It’s still very limiting. This is such a 180 from where we were two weeks ago, that I don’t think most people have fully processed it.”He said he learned about the changed order Saturday evening.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.Shutdown OrdersHaney said he believes that health orders should be realistic and allow for people to meet — safely, socially distanced, outdoors, with masks — and said he worries that too-restrictive orders could “backfire” and lead to some people taking their gatherings indoors, where it is more dangerous.“People have to be human, and that involves seeing each other. I think it’s important that we allow for that within any health order, and I think the prior one just went way too far,” Haney said. “In some ways, I think the current one goes way too far.”SF's health order has been changed to now allow people to interact outdoors with 1 person from another household to:- Take a walk- Hang out at the park- Play low-contact sports like golf, tennis, pickleball, and bocce ballThis is a change. — Matt Haney (@MattHaneySF)Lauren Hernández is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: Twitter: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 navigateDating — masked, out-of-doors and kiss-free — is legal again in San Francisco.That’s Supervisor Matt Haney’s lighthearted yet serious interpretation of the which happened quietly Thursday.San Francisco’s health order now says that residents can “meet with 1 other person who doesn’t live with you” to take a walk, “hang out at the park,” and play low-contact sports, such as golf, tennis, pickleball and bocce ball. Health officials say pairs cannot share equipment.It’s a slight easing of the which said that meeting anyone outside...

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Lauren Hernández

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Can you date under S.F.’s shutdown? Here’s what one supervisor thinks the rules mean

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