Portions of California are now under stay-at-home orders as the number of coronavirus cases continues to rise. But for some local pols, following their own guidelines — intended to avoid the more draconian lockdowns — proved to be too much of a hassle.
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is among them. A few weeks ago, Breed joined several people for a high-priced dinner party to celebrate a birthday:
Breed took a few days off after election day and joined seven others the night of Nov. 7 to celebrate socialite Gorretti Lo Lui’s 60th birthday, Breed’s spokesman Jeff Cretan confirmed. The party of eight dined in the same kind of partially enclosed room with a ceiling and chandelier as Newsom did — making it more of an indoor dining experience than an outdoor one.
Cretan characterized the occasion as a “small family birthday dinner,” but it’s unclear exactly who else attended and how many households the group included.
The party may not have violated the letter of California’s recommendations. But the rules in place in San Francisco, where Breed is Mayor, are not so forgiving:
The dinner would have certainly violated San Francisco’s health guidelines if it took place in Breed’s own city. San Francisco has issued stricter guidance than the state for several types of businesses, including restaurants, which were not supposed to seat groups larger than six indoors or outdoors unless everyone lived together. Three days after dining at the French Laundry, Breed banned indoor dining in San Francisco altogether.
“I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that everyone act responsibly to reduce the spread of the virus,” Breed said in a statement Nov. 10. “Every San Franciscan needs to do their part so that we can start moving in the right direction again.”
Breed eventually apologized for her actions, and said “I will do better.”