Stay healthy during the coronavirus pandemic

Talk with the people you live with about how to stay healthy together. 

The safest choice is to get vaccinated.

See what vaccinated individuals are now allowed to do.

If you are not vaccinated:

• The safest choice is to stay home. The more you go out, the more you expose yourself and others to COVID-19.
• Stay 6 feet apart from people who don’t live with you.  If you cannot, you must wear a face covering.

Everyone is required to wear a face covering when taking transit, going inside businesses, and being in crowded situations.y

See guidance about going out during the pandemic.

Regularly wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. 

If you don’t have soap or water, you can use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.

You can safely use expired hand sanitizer if it still:

• Is a gel or foam consistency (not runny)
• Dries quickly
• Has 90% left in the container, if was originally full and unopened

Avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue. Wash or sanitize your hands afterwards.

We do not recommend wearing gloves. Gloves need to be cleaned or replaced regularly. Washing your hands is a better way to stay healthy.

Open windows and doors. You can also use an air purifier.

For more tips, see ventilation requirements for SF businesses.

Every day, clean all surfaces that people touch a lot, such as:

• Counters
• Tabletops
• Doorknobs
• Bathroom fixtures
• Toilets
• Phones
• Keyboards
• Tablets 

Immediately clean and disinfect any surfaces that have bodily fluids on them, like blood or feces.

You can use disposable gloves when cleaning. Throw them away after you take them off. Wash your hands after you take off your gloves.

See other cleaning tips from the SF Department of Public Health

Get tested for COVID-19 if:

• You have a fever over 100.4° Fahrenheit or 38.0° Celsius
• You’re shivering a lot
• You have a cough
• It’s hard to breathe
• You feel tired or sore
• You can’t smell or taste anything
• Your throat hurts
• Your head hurts
• You have a runny or stuffy nose
• You have diarrhea, feel sick to your stomach, or throw up

Children and youth under 18 do not have to get tested if they have a stuffy nose, soreness, or feel tired. These symptoms are common for them for many other reasons.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you must follow isolation instructions.