California granted an exemption to San Francisco on Tuesday to allow fully vaccinated people in indoor settings such as offices and gyms to opt out of the state's new mask mandate.

"This refinement acknowledges the hard work of the people of San Francisco throughout the pandemic, including the ways in which we have maintained reasonable protections heading into the holiday season," the San Francisco Department of Public Health said in a statement.

The state implemented a universal indoor mask mandate Wednesday that applies regardless of vaccination status in response to a recent uptick in COVID-19 cases.

CALIFORNIA REINSTATES MASK MANDATE AMID SURGING CASES

Although fully vaccinated offices and gyms have exemptions, other provisions in the indoor mask mandate remain in effect, according to the SFDPH.

Several other counties in California also received exemptions, including Alameda, Contra Costa, and Marin, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The new mask mandate in California is effective from Dec. 15 to Jan. 15. California previously mandated that unvaccinated individuals wear masks in indoor settings in public spaces. The enforcement of the new mandate appears to rely heavily on individual and local enforcement.

About 86% of San Francisco residents of all ages have been vaccinated with at least one dose, according to data from the city. This is slightly above the state average of 81%, according to the New York Times.

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California has reported cases of the new omicron variant in the state. Early data show omicron is less lethal but more transmissible than most other COVID-19 strains.

The state has also seen an uptick in cases more broadly since Thanksgiving. The number of COVID-19 cases has climbed up by about 50% in California in the last two weeks, according to data from the New York Times. Hospitalizations have also climbed by about 10% during the same time.