Community

COVID-19 Updates

Given the recent developments regarding the coronavirus, we’re providing information about how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and changes to our programs and services.

San Francisco AIDS Foundation

May 19, 2020 6 Minute Read

Dados los recientes desarrollos en cuanto al coronavirus, estamos proporcionando información para prevenir la propagación del COVID-19 y cambios de nuestros programas y servicios.

Updated: May 19, 2020

What’s open:

Sexual Health Services at Strut/Magnet — limited services, call ahead (no walk-ins)
Stonewall Project, Harm Reduction Group, Smart Drinking, Over the Influence, Community Group, Free 2 B, Harm Reduction Friday Night, Adventures in Abstinence, Damn Daddy, Outside In, Taking Care of Business (TCB), PROP, Cheers Queers counseling — via phone and video chat
6th St Harm Reduction Center — see schedule for details
Mobile Syringe Sites — see schedule
Syringe Pick up Crew — normal hours
Social support & Individual counseling — see schedule
Volunteers — shifts and events canceled

A San Francisco emergency public health order issued on April 17 requires all members of the public to wear a face covering when outside their home and accessing any essential business including health services. To comply with this order, all individuals accessing essential services at our sites are required to wear a face covering that shields the mouth and nose.

As the state of California continues its mandatory “stay home” order, we want to make sure you have the most accurate information about how to access our services during this time. The order is effective until May 31, 2020. We’ll update this page regularly.

Locations & hours (May 18 – May 31)

Main Office (1035 Market Street) – Closed
Mobile Testing Unit – Closed
Strut/Magnet: Limited clinical services available Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm. Walk-in clients are not being seen at this time. Please call the clinic at 415-581-1600 for instructions. Strut will be closed on Monday, May 25 and Tuesday, May 26.
6th Street Harm Reduction Center: Door services, including Narcan distribution, are available Monday – Friday, 11 am – 4 pm and Saturday from 4 pm – 8 pm. The Hepatitis C Wellness and locker programs, and medical services are available Monday – Friday, 11 am – 1 pm for enrolled clients.

Adjusted hours on May 25 & 26:

- Door service & Narcan distribution: 11 am – 1 pm
- Hepatitis C Wellness and locker program available 11 am – 1 pm, but medical services closed
Mobile Syringe Sites:
- Monday: Bayview (3rd and Innes), 4 pm – 6 pm
- Tuesday: Duboce (Bikeway behind Safeway), 6 pm – 8 pm
- Wednesday: Weise Alley (at 16th), 6 pm – 8 pm
- Thursday: Hemlock Alley (off Polk St., between Post & Sutter), 7 pm – 9 pm
- Friday: 16th & Mission St., 7 pm – 9 pm

Available services

San Francisco AIDS Foundation remains committed to providing essential services during COVID-19 because we know that people living with and affected by HIV need us now more than ever. We continue to provide onsite services like the emergency provision of PrEP, PEP and HIV care prescriptions, and clinical care for people with symptoms of a sexually-transmitted infection or who might have had an exposure to HIV. Our syringe access and disposal services teams are still providing harm reduction supplies to people who would otherwise not have access to these important HIV, hepatitis C and overdose prevention tools. We’re also conducting a majority of our programming virtually, including substance use treatment, case management, social support, and housing subsidies for enrolled participants.

Get more details below and find specific event information on the calendar. For general questions, email info@sfaf.org.

Sexual health services

If you have symptoms of a suspected sexually transmitted infection, would like to be screened for STIs, or have had a recent HIV exposure, please call 415-581-1600 and select option #3 to be connected with the nursing team at Magnet. They will be able to coordinate services and testing for you.

If you are currently receiving PrEP or HIV care from our clinical team, we can extend your prescriptions to cover this time period. To request a refill, call our navigation team at 415-437-3450. PrEP clients are being seen for follow-up visits on a limited basis. You can also email questions about PrEP or follow-up appointments to prep@sfaf.org and questions about HIV services to assist4HIV@sfaf.org.

Behavioral health services

In-person Stonewall Project groups and walk-ins at 1035 Market Street and Strut are on hold at this time. Clients in our enrolled program can access substance use counseling sessions by phone and via video chat. Some group services are also occurring via video conference. Please refer to this schedule of the Stonewall groups to learn more. If you have questions about Stonewall or the group schedule, call 415-487-3100 or email stonewall@sfaf.org. Note: This is not crisis service and response may be delayed pending staff availability. Please dial 911 or take yourself to the nearest emergency room if there is a life-threatening emergency.
PROP: PROP and PROP for All are currently for enrolled clients only. Meetings are taking place via video conference. Please contact Rick Andrews at randrews@sfaf.org or 415-487-3115 with questions. Refer to this schedule for meeting times and video conference instructions.
Cheers Queers: Please contact Rich Lugo at rlugo@sfaf.org or 415-487-3439 with questions.
Harm reduction supplies: All harm reduction supplies are available via door service at the 6th Street Harm Reduction Center and mobile syringe sites (days, hours and locations above). This includes Narcan distribution, syringe distribution & disposal services.
Syringe Pick Up Crew: Our street-based syringe disposal team is providing rapid response syringe pickups normal hours, Monday-Sunday, 7 am – 7 pm. Learn more about the Syringe Pick Up Crew.

Social support & case management services

Black Brothers Esteem: Community support and referrals to food resources and health care. The following groups will be offered on video chat:
- - BBE Virtual Game Night, Friday 5/29 at 5 pm
For more information, contact Preston at pvargas@sfaf.org or 415-340-2564.
Centers of Excellence: Medical case managers are offering one-on-one support via phone or through video chats. The following group will be offered on video chat:
- CCHAMP/Access Hope/Black Health Weekly Support Group: Fridays at 12 am

To set up an appointment, send an email to Hitomi Stiller at hstiller@sfaf.org. Clients of UCSF Ward 86 or Parnassus should request a referral from their current social worker.

DREAAM Project: Every Thursday, we’ll host a Virtual Chat & Chew Lunch Time Special from noon – 2 pm. There will be special quest speakers, games, hot topics, and more! Virtual Chat & Chew Lunch Time Special, Thursday, 5/21 and Thursday, 5/28.
Elizabeth Taylor 50-Plus Network/Bridgemen: The following groups will be offered virtually on Zoom:
- Saturday Coffee: Saturday 5/23 and 5/30 at 10 am
- Virtual Check-In Night: Wednesday 5/20 and 5/27 at 6 pm
The 50-Plus team is checking in with members by phone and video chat. Email 50PlusNetwork@sfaf.org with questions or to join a group.
Housing & Benefits: The Housing & Benefits team is meeting one-on-one with existing clients via phone or through video chats. Please reach out to your case manager directly or email us at info@sfaf.org or leave a voicemail at 415-487-3037 if you want to schedule an appointment.
Latino Programs: Spanish speaking community members can receive limited individual services by text, e-mail, phone calls, or video chat. Latino Programs social support and psycho-educational groups are facilitated in Spanish and happening on Zoom by invitation only:
- The Well-Being Group/ Grupo El Bien-Estar – Nurturing Wellness and Increasing Mental Health, Wednesdays at 3 pm
- The Latino Support Group/El Grupo de Apoyo Latino – Process group focusing on the intersection of HIV, Latino Migration and the impact of COVID-19, Thursdays at 3 pm
- La Casa de La Risa – Group with activities to experiencing collective happiness and group laughing, Fridays at 3 pm
For more information or to join a group please contact: Eduardo at esiquerios@sfaf.org at 415-734-8011.
Los Programas Latinos: Miembros de la comunidad que hablan español podrán recibir servicios individuales limitados vía texto, correo electrónico, llamadas telefónicas o por video-conferencias. Participación en los Grupos de apoyo vía video-conferencia en Zoom, solo se otorgara por invitación previa. Para mas informacion por favor envie un correo a jzepeda@sfaf.org o llame al numero de telefono 415-734-8011.
Positive Force: Individual one-on-one check-ins are available for community members living with HIV by phone or video chat. Email us at pforce@sfaf.org to talk to one of our team members.
QTPOC at Strut: Join virtual events from QTPOC at Strut, Monday – Friday!
- Black Love! Poetry workshop with performances, Thursday, 5/21 at 5 pm
- Shut Up and DRAW, with Justin Hall, Saturday, 5/23 at 5 pm
- Parivar is Home: Panel discussion on trans queer South Asian voices, Sunday, 5/24 at 5 pm
- Trans Voices, Thursday 5/28 at 5 pm
Text QTPOC to 474747 for daily reminders and additional details.
TransLife: Our weekly group meets virtually Wednesdays, 2 pm – 4 pm. Individual one-on-one check-ins are available for participants by phone or video chat. To set up an appointment or join the Wednesday group, please send an email to Joaquin Meza at jmeza@sfaf.org.
At-home consults for acupuncture clients: Virtual sessions available with Dirk Schlueter, our community acupuncture volunteer at Strut. For more info, call Dirk at 415-799-7090, email dirk@dirkacu.com or visit www.dirkacu.com.

Volunteer services

All volunteer shifts and events are canceled.

Prevent the spread of coronavirus

Stay home except for essential needs and limit all travel. Observe the guidelines of your county.
Cover your cough or sneeze. Cough or sneeze into your arm or elbow.
Wash your hands regularly and consistently. Use soap and water with vigorous scrubbing for 20 seconds or hand sanitizing scrubbing for 20 seconds or until dry. If using hand sanitizer, be sure to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
Try to avoid touching your face, to prevent the potential spread of viruses from surfaces.
Routinely clean frequently touched surfaces, like doorknobs, light switches, faucets, tables, with a disinfectant. The EPA has provided a list of cleaning products that are effective against the coronavirus.
Even if you are the provider of an essential service during the shelter-in-place order, stay home if you are sick. You’ll get better quicker if you rest. According to the CDC, avoid returning to work until you have been free of fever (less than 100.4), signs of a fever, and any other symptoms for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing or symptom reducing medication (ex. Tylenol, cough suppressant).
Social distance. A distance of 6 feet minimizes the potential of exposure to viruses from uncovered coughs or sneezes. Try to avoid crowded public spaces where contact with others is likely. Try to avoid handshakes and other contacts with other people where possible.
Wear a cloth mask or cloth face covering in public to prevent the spread of droplets. Reserve surgical and N95 masks for first responders and health care providers.
Plan ahead. Learn about emergency operation plans for your workplace and child’s school. Ensure that you have at least a 7-day supply of routine medications.

Discrimination Harms All Our Health

The virus has now been reported on every continent except Antarctica. Several news media outlets around the world have reported stories of hostility and discrimination against members of Asian communities because cases of the virus were first reported in Wuhan, China.

This kind of discrimination is unacceptable and harmful to health outcomes. The best way for all San Franciscans to stay healthy and prevent the spread of the virus is to practice consistent hand washing, cough or sneeze into your sleeve, stay home if you are sick, and get a flu shot. It’s critically important that we come together with compassion and unity during this stressful time. It’s good for everyone’s health.

COVID-19 Updates