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Practical Advice for Unhealthy Air Quality During COVID-19

San Francisco is currently being impacted by the public health threats of both wildfire smoke and COVID-19. Please read below for some practical guidelines on how you can continue to protect yourself and others. Together, we can handle these combined health threats.

Minimize Exposure 
The wildfire smoke in San Francisco is from the multiple fires burning across the Bay Area. If the smell of smoke is present, it is important that Bay Area workers and residents protect their health by minimizing exposure:

(Recommendations from AirNow.gov)

 People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens - take any of these steps to reduce your exposure:
  • Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
  • Keep outdoor activities short.
  • Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.
Everyone else - take any of these steps to reduce your exposure:
  • Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don't breathe as hard.
  • Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.
  • Be active outdoors when air quality is better.
Follow Recommendations 

 
Steps for Employers  
 
Businesses and other employers should monitor the air quality index (AQI) (available at https://www.airnow.gov/ or https://www.baaqmd.gov/ and make sure they are taking the required steps to comply with the requirements outlined by state workplace safety regulators in the Protection from Wildfire Smoke standard.   
 
To minimize the risk of COVID-19, offices, childcare programs, out-of-school-time (OST) programs and other businesses have been directed to increase ventilation in indoor spaces to the extent possible by, for example, opening windows or changing their air conditioner settings. These entities are not required to close if they now need to shut windows or adjust their ventilation systems to minimize exposure to wildfire smoke. Childcare centers and youth programs, also known as OST programs, may move activities indoors if the AQI is unhealthy.  Whenever ventilation is reduced by closing windows or reducing outside air intake, entities and individuals should be particularly mindful of precautions to reduce transmission of COVID-19: wash and sanitize hands frequently, follow all face covering and physical distancing requirements, clean frequently touched surfaces and items regularly, and remind everyone who can work remotely to do so.

Guidance for Cleaner Air Sites

SF Department of Public Health has issued interim guidance on operating Cleaner Air Sites during COVID-19. Available online at: https://www.sfcdcp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Cleaner-Air-Sites-Guidance-FINAL-2020-08-21.pdf
This information is subject to change as conditions evolve, 
please check www.SF72.org regularly for updates.


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