San Francisco will require proof of full vaccination for residents entering indoor places starting August 20.

Being the first major city to place such a mandate, San Francisco, like many other cities in the Bay Area, has a mask mandate indoors accompanying the new rule. People touring the city will need a form of verification that they got the vaccine.

“This isn’t just a California thing, this is San Francisco specifically — they say it’s going to be one of the first cities, maybe even nationwide, that’s making requirements like these and if it goes well they’ll start rolling it out elsewhere,” said Maddie Dutra, Amador alumni and University of San Francisco student.

Most indoor places will accept either a physical vaccination card or a photo of it. Retailers and grocery stores and exceptions to this rule requiring a proof of vaccination to enter, but wearing a mask indoors will be necessary.

“You definitely have to make sure that you have all the forms necessary in case a location that you’re trying to get to doesn’t accept it. I have a feeling places that are going to be frequented more often like restaurants or museums, their requirements will be more strict because they deal with more people and clients every single day,” said Dutra.

With the mandate going into place this Friday, residents of the city should expect to bring document or digital proof when leaving their homes. The goal behind this mandate is for non-vaccinated residents to quickly get fully vaccinated in order to step inside these venues. 

“I do hope that people do get encouraged or they feel more of an obligation to go get vaccinated, but I’m not going to hold my breath and say that it’ll convince the entire population of San Francisco to get their vaccine. If it can influence even a couple people, I think we’re getting back on the right track,” said Dutra.