CHP and Golden Gate Bridge Police Violate Mask Use Ordinance at Protest

Photos by Devin Braehmer and Andrés Gallegos as indicated. Top photo by Andrés Gallegos.

A nurse who was present at the "March for the Dead, Fight for the Living" protest last week in San Francisco, wrote to the California Highway Patrol and to the manager of the Bridge Division of Golden Gate Bridge saying that she saw persons deemed to be guardians of the bridge NOT wearing masks.

She wrote in part:

I'm writing as a Registered Nurse working the hospital frontlines since the U.S. inception of Covid-19 in January and recently in communities such as justice fighters to reduce Covid transmissions as a Community Covid Specialist. 

Last Friday, your team was violating city ordinances of mask use while breaching social distance recommendations. 

I want to warn you that asymptomatic Covid positive nurses and doctors are allowed to work patient care in San Francisco hospitals as we speak. That is one risk that is unforgiving regardless of our privileges.  

And gauging the girth of abdomens, skin discolorations, and quality of voices, I can tell that you and your officers are at higher risk for poor health outcomes already. 

Increasing your viral loads by intensifying Covid exposure in each other at the station will give you a problem that of course we do not talk about on national television and newspapers for reasons beyond our control. 

I recommend that your officers have a re-education or initial education about viral loads, and techniques to tolerate prolonged mask-use even during escalated events.

Under my observation and guidance, the demonstrators were significantly more compliant than the CHP and GGBP staff. The demonstrators' age and health factors would withstand the threat of Covid much better than your employees. So I recommend [you] heed my warning as a health and medical professional. 

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Please be reminded that masked breaching of social distancing [has] scientifically been proven to have reduced transmissions of Covid-19.