The City of San Francisco will pay you $1,000 to stay at home if you test positive for COVID

As part of the Right to Recover Program, the city of San Francisco will offer residents $1,000 to stay at home if they test positive for COVID. The program was developed as a means to discourage those who do not have access to sick days at their place of employment from going into work, reducing the risk of spread. It was developed by Supervisor Hillary Ronen. Owing to a surge in the number of COVID cases in the region, Mayor London Breed recently boosted the program's budget, extending availability to more city dwellers through June 2022. Notably, immigration and probation/parole status are not barriers to access to the program.

Presently, health experts have suggested staying at home in quarantine for at least 10 days after testing positive for COVID. The Right to Recover Program encourages folks to stay at home through the $1,000 cash benefit. The program was developed in 2020 during the advent of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. However, owing to the resurgence of cases and the appearance of the new Omicron variant, Mayor Breed boosted the program's budget by an additional $5.4 million earlier this month. She stated, "When someone comes down with the virus, we want them to focus on getting the care they need and the resources to isolate in order to protect their family and surrounding community. Right to Recover not only allows us to help those who may not have access to health or unemployment insurance, but it allows us to protect the health and safety of all residents in our City." Since the Right to Recovery Program was first introduced, the City has directed $10.9 million towards benefits, serving 7,037 San Franciscans to date, with 75 percent of the recipients residing in neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic.

"The Right to Recover program that I created together with the Latino Task Force on COVID-19 has been a lifesaver throughout this pandemic," Supervisor Ronen affirmed. "It has allowed low-income workers and families to prioritize their own health and well-being as well as that of the public by giving them the financial support to stay home and quarantine when they test positive for COVID. This program has been a small bright light in this grueling pandemic and I’m glad we will keep it going as long as it’s needed." Indeed, the program has been praised for how effective it is. Many have called on other cities to enact similar policy proposals.

Kate Sofis, Executive Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development, shared, "Right to Recover is a financial safety net that has served thousands of vulnerable residents in San Francisco. Many of these residents are workers that don’t have the option to work from home and still be able to pay their bills or put food on their table. We are grateful to our community partners for their work and role in this important program, one that has proven vital to the city’s economic recovery."

“We need to make it possible for San Franciscans who become infected with COVID-19 to isolate and recover for their own health and well-being, and to limit the spread of the virus within their families and community,” added Director of Health, Dr. Grant Colfax. “Providing the resources for people to do this through Right to Recover is a matter of equity, especially for our highly-impacting communities who have suffered so much during this pandemic.” Those looking to access the benefits can call the following phone number and ask for the Right to Recover Program: 628-217-6101.