Giants to welcome fans back to Oracle Park even as city cases slowly climb

San Francisco Giants fans were given reason to celebrate with a team announcement Thursday that Oracle Park will open at limited capacity for next week’s home opener.

During a press conference held outside of the Covid-19 Command Center, Mayor London Breed said Thursday   that the Department of Public Health worked with the team to devise a plan to keep attending fans safe.

As part of the safety plan, fans will be required to show proof of either full vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to the game, which Breed said is better than not having fans present at all. Capacity will be limited to 22 percent.

Fans over the age of 12 will be required to present an electronic copy or paper copy of the negative test result. Fans over the age of 18 can use the CLEAR Health Pass to provide proof of a negative test. Children under 12 years old are exempt from the test requirement.

Fully vaccinated fans can present an electronic copy or completed vaccination card as proof. The team defines full vaccination as completion of the vaccine series at least two weeks before a game.

Face masks and social distancing requirements will be strictly enforced at Oracle Park. More information about entry requirements can be found here.

The City Thursday also opened vaccine eligibility to those over the age of 50, per state guidelines announced by Gov. Gavin Newsom last month.

DPH Director Dr. Grant Colfax said The City is nearing the 50 percent mark for residents over the age of 16 who have received at least one vaccine dose.

He added that 82 percent of residents over the age of 65 — the age group deemed most vulnerable — have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 62 percent of that population have been fully vaccinated with either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna formulas or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

While eligibility gradually opens up, Colfax noted that supply remains limited despite The City’s infrastructure in place to vaccine at least 20,000 people a day. He said that with sufficient supply, The City could ensure that more than 80 percent of adult residents will have received a first doses by mid-May.

Colfax said he was optimistic about the future as the case rate remains relatively low compared to the winter surge, but he said:

“We also still need to be realistic about where things stand today. By no means are we out of the woods yet.”

He also warned that cases have begun to “slowly” climb back up — the case rate reached 20 percent last week.

Colfax said:

“This is not unexpected. We know as cities reopen, including in San Francisco, cases gradually go up. The virus is again spreading. We must be vigilant in wearing masks, social distancing and following the precautions that we know slow the spread.

The City is currently averaging 35 new cases per day, according to data from DPH.

He added:

“After all, together we have beaten back three surges, and I know we do not want to see a significant fourth surge here.”