Vaccine checks beginning at San Francisco eateries, bars

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Anyone who wants to eat, drink or exercise indoors in San Francisco must show they are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 when one of the nation's most stringent restrictions on unvaccinated people takes effect.

Restaurant and bar owners said they’ve contacted people who reserved tables to remind them of the new rule that begins Friday, and planned to have extra staff at the front door to verify people’s proof of vaccination and make sure they match their identity cards.

“There's definitely some anxiety around how it's all going to work,” said Pete Sittnick, a managing partner of Waterbar and EPIC Steak restaurants on the city's waterfront.

He anticipates a slowdown in checking in diners, possible pushback from guests who disagree with the requirement and awkward scenarios where someone shows up without proper documentation.

“The good thing is, if somebody doesn't have their verification of vaccination they can still eat outside. There is an option and we just need to be ready for different scenarios,” he said.

Mayor London Breed announced the requirement more than a week ago in an attempt to stem rising COVID-19 cases, saying she was worried the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus could disrupt the city’s economic rebound.

The mandate goes further than New York City, which requires only the first dose of a vaccine for indoor activities, and New Orleans, which requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for indoor dining and drinking.

It follows a number of tough COVID-19 measures San Francisco imposed since the beginning of the pandemic. The city and its neighboring counties in the Bay Area were the first in the nation to order residents to stay at home in order to slow the spread of the coronavirus, and more recently...