Contrary to plan, San Francisco remains on coronavirus watch list

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - San Francisco failed to meet two of six thresholds to be removed from the state's coronavirus watch list, despite a belief earlier in the week that the city was on a path toward possibly reopening. 

San Francisco remains on the COVID-19 monitoring list on Friday. It was only Wednesday, when Gov. Gavin Newsom had said authorities expected the city to meet standards showing that there's a lower risk of virus transmission. 

If San Francisco leaves the watch list and remains off of it, it may be possible for certain closed industries to reopen. The state currently has 40 counties on the list, including the eight others that make up the Bay Area as of Wednesday.

"We can confirm that San Francisco County was NOT removed from the County Data Monitoring watch list yesterday because its rate of available ICU beds was at 17% (when the threshold is greater than 20%) and its rate of 123 cases per 100,00 did not meet the threshold of fewer than 100 cases per 100,000," a spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health wrote in an email to KTVU.

Santa Cruz, San Diego and Placer counties have all been recently removed from the list. Newsom said Wednesday that overall, hospitalizations and ICU admissions have been decreasing in the state.

Counties that have been on the list for three consecutive days are required to shut down gyms, places of worship, non-critical offices, personal care services like nail salons, hair salons and barbershops and shopping malls.

Throughout the state, all indoor dining and other indoor operations are closed and will remain closed, despite watch list status.