sf.citi is committed to providing ongoing updates about the latest community news and resources from the San Francisco tech industry and beyond.
- 704,651 confirmed cases in California
- 12,940 confirmed deaths in California
- 84,936 confirmed cases in the Bay Area
*As of 9:00am PT on 8/31
COVID-19 Updates from the SF Tech Community
UPDATES FROM THE TECH COMMUNITY
We are sharing the latest COVID-19 resources from the San Francisco tech industry, as well other community-minded initiatives pioneered by sf.citi members.
- Alaska Airlines announced that it’s going touch-free. To create a safe travel experience for guests and employees, Alaska is creating more convenience and less contact among guests and employees during all phases of the travel process.
- Airbnb and Okta became the latest tech companies to extend their remote work policies to next summer. Airbnb will allow employees to work from home until the the end of August 2021, while Okta employees can continue working remotely through July 2021.
- As wildfires continue to spread across California, Uber is leveraging its platform to help communities that are hurting and support firefighters and first responders. The company is providing free rides to residents in cities affected by wildfires, offering free meals to first responders and firefighters through Uber Eats, and using Uber Freight to deliver essential goods.
UPDATES FROM THE CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO
- On August 28, Mayor Breed announced that San Francisco will resume outdoor personal services starting September 1. Only services where both clients and providers can be masked at all times are allowed to resume, including haircuts, barber services, massages and nail services. Outdoor gyms and fitness centers can reopen starting September 9.
- On August 26, Mayor Breed announced over $12 million in funding for arts organizations. The approximately $12.8 million in Grants for the Arts funds 227 arts and cultural organizations that enhance the City’s cultural vibrancy, with a focus on organizations serving San Francisco’s Black and trans communities.
- On August 25, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Mayor Breed’s nomination of Malia Cohen to serve on San Francisco’s Police Commission. Malia Cohen, the current Chair of the State Board of Equalization, will now serve on the seven-member body charged with setting policy for the San Francisco Police Department and conducting disciplinary hearings when police conduct charges are filed.
To stay up to date with all City of San Francisco updates, follow the Mayor’s updates here.
UPDATES FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA
- On August 28, Governor Newsom unveiled a blueprint for a Safer Economy, a statewide, stringent, and slow plan for living with COVID-19 long term. The plan imposes risk-based criteria on tightening and loosening COVID-19 allowable activities and expands the length of time between changes to assess how any movement affects the trajectory of the disease.
- On August 26, Governor Newsom signed an executive order to assist election officials as they prepare for the upcoming election amid the COVID-19 pandemic and wildfires across the state. The order extends the deadline for county elections officials to count and verify signatures submitted for initiative petitions seeking to qualify for the November 2022 ballot, giving the election officials needed flexibility to focus on preparations for the General Election this November.
- On August 26, Governor Newsom announced a plan to more than double California’s COVID-19 testing capacity and reduce turnaround time. A contract with a major diagnostics company will allow California to process up to an additional 150,000 COVID-19 diagnostic tests per day with a turnaround time of 24-48 hours. This first-of-its-kind agreement aims to disrupt the testing marketplace, help break supply chain logjams, and drive down the costs for tests for every Californian.
- On August 24, Governor Newsom signed an executive order to increase the availability of CLIA-waived COVID-19 testing. The order also addresses a variety of issues in response to the pandemic. These include increasing the income-eligibility threshold for the Community Service Block Grant program to support economic and community development efforts in response to the pandemic. It also waives certain requirements under state law so that additional Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding made available under the CARES Act can be used to maximize direct assistance to Californians most in need.
To stay up to date with all State of California updates, follow the California Department of Health’s updates here.
SUPPORT OUR SAN FRANCISCO COMMUNITY
Every week, sf.citi will feature a different San Francisco nonprofit and share ways you can support its mission and work.
- The Women’s Building in San Francisco’s Mission District has become known for so much more than its iconic MaestraPeace mural. Since 1971, The Women’s Building (TWB) has facilitated the wellbeing of Bay Area women, girls, and families. Among other services, it offers job search assistance, food pantries for immigrant families, tech tutoring, and free tax assistance. The Women’s Building is currently holding a Back to School Drive to assist low-income children with their school needs, including technology devices and more. Support Bay Area students and families by buying school supplies from two TWB wish lists: TWB Wishlist from Patrick and Co and TWB Wishlist from Amazon.
Would you like to be featured in a future sf.citi community update? Tell us about your work in San Francisco by emailing jacqueline@sfciti.org.
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