If Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis’ decision to lock arms with six of his fellow Bay Area counties to strongly recommend everyone wear a mask in indoor settings wasn’t enough of a reminder that we’re far from out of the COVID-19 woods, there’s plenty more.

Willis’ agency last week reported the first COVID-19 death of a county resident since mid-May. The resident had not been vaccinated against COVID-19 and died July 21. It was the 186th death in Marin during the pandemic, all of which have patents who had not been vaccinated.

 “It’s especially hard to see people dying from COVID-19 when we know how preventable it is,” said Willis said. “We’re sharing this so our community sees it’s not safe to be unvaccinated.”

To that end, there are efforts throughout California and across the country to ramp up efforts to appeal to the unvaccinated to reconsider. One strategy is to limit patrons’ options for eating, drinking and gathering unless they present a vaccination card.

The SF Bar Owner Alliance officially endorsed an idea to require anyone who wants to dine or drink inside to prove they’ve received a COVID-19 vaccine, or at least a negative COVID test in the last 72 hours, starting this Thursday, July 29. Both Mayor London Breed and the Golden Gate Restaurant Association voiced support. Of course, it remains to be seen if this will become a norm for restaurants and bars in the Bay Area, or more of an exception, Eater SF reported. In some cases, that means you’ll need to present a physical copy of your vaccination card — though many business owners will also accept a clear photo or the QR code or digital copy you may be able to get from the state, according to Eater.

The list so far includes SF favorites like Hayes Street Grill, Vesuvio Cafe and the Alembic, as well as locations in the East Bay and South Bay. Here’s the list to date.

In Mill Valley, Sweetwater Music Hall has decided to require proof of vaccination for all of its concerts, which kick off in September.

On a related note, Facebook, Google and Netflix announced they would require many employees to have been vaccinated for Covid-19, with limited exceptions for medical or religious reasons, and more than 600 universities have announced mandates for students or employees. California State, the country’s largest four-year public university system, joined the list Tuesday.

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