DeKalb GA News

San Francisco has advised residents to wear masks indoors again due to increasing COVID-19 levels, more than four years after the pandemic's onset. The San Francisco Department of Public Health posted on the X platform, recommending people wear a "well-fitted mask" in certain indoor settings.

"Make this summer a healthy one for yourself and others," the post read. "With COVID-19 circulating, please consider wearing a well-fitted mask in crowded indoor spaces."

The city's warning is attributed to "rising coronavirus wastewater levels across San Francisco and California," according to a statement provided to the San Francisco Chronicle. The Chronicle reported that CDC data shows California as one of the few states with "very high" SARS-CoV-2 wastewater levels. Most Bay Area sewage treatment plants, including those in San Francisco, show high levels.

San Francisco's seven-day average test positivity rate is 6.5%, while the statewide level stands at 13.8%. Although some indicators suggest the surge may be slowing, emergency room visits have risen at a slower pace recently. Nonetheless, California is among 36 states with rising infections, per CDC figures.

COVID-19 accounts for 1.6% of deaths in California, slightly up from last week but still below past peaks.

Last weekend, President Joe Biden announced isolation at his Delaware home after contracting COVID-19 despite receiving multiple vaccines aimed at preventing virus transmission. His diagnosis coincided with his withdrawal from the presidential race, prompting speculation about his condition. He has since returned to the White House and reported symptom resolution.

Ben Kew is a writer and editor originally from the UK who moved to cover Congress for Breitbart News and has held editorial roles at Human Events, Townhall Media, and Americano Media. He has contributed to The Epoch Times, The Western Journal, and The Spectator.