Redwood City – The County of San Mateo continues to work to protect public health and safety in response to the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19.
The County of San Mateo’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains open to coordinate countywide response and communications in response to the situation. The EOC’s Joint Information Center will provide status reports every Tuesday and Thursday until further notice. Today’s report:
Bay Area Health Officers Issue Joint Vaccination Statement
As Bay Area nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers caring for COVID-19 patients receive the first, small batches of a rigorously tested vaccine, the region’s Health Officers see hope: we now have a critical tool to help fight this pandemic.
These vaccinations in acute care hospital settings follow a federal and state framework adopted locally that will also soon protect those living in skilled nursing facilities, settings where elderly, vulnerable members of our communities are more likely to have severe illness and die from COVID-19.
The 12 health officers for the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Monterey, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Sonoma and the City of Berkeley support the state's vaccine distribution guidelines, which now prioritize healthcare workers in acute care facilities.
Read Health Officers’ Statement here
County COVID-19 Vaccination Program Outlined
The approval of and early delivery of COVID-19 vaccinations is welcome news as a surge of cases continue locally and throughout the United States.
In active partnership with the state and federal government, San Mateo County Health is committed to being transparent, careful, and above all, equitable in providing COVID-19 vaccines to everyone who needs and requests vaccination.
San Mateo County has been allotted an initial 5,850 doses of the Pfizer vaccine and expects to receive five to six times that amount of Pfizer and Moderna vaccine doses by the end of the month.
County Health’s new COVID-19 vaccination page outlines how the vaccine will be distributed. The first groups to receive vaccines will be health care workers, medical first responders, and residents in long term care facilities. It is expected that essential workers will be next. These residents are critical to our daily existence and are at highest risk of becoming infected, severely ill, or spreading COVID-19.
An announcement about the distribution of community-wide vaccinations will be made once more information is received from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the California Department of Public Health.
The distribution of the vaccine will be monitored closely and some of the metrics tracked will be shared publicly at https://www.smchealth.org/
CDPH Guidelines for Youth and Adult Recreational Sports
The California Department of Public Health yesterday issued guidance to support safe outdoor and indoor youth and recreational adult sports activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines apply to all organized youth sports — including school- and community-sponsored programs, and privately-organized clubs and leagues — and adult recreational sports.
Physical conditioning, practice, skill-building, and training that can be conducted outdoors, with 6 feet of physical distancing, and within stable cohorts are authorized regardless of county tier status. These activities may be conducted indoors consistent with restrictions by tier in the Gym & Fitness Center Guidance Capacity.
Read what youth and adult recreational sports are allowed according to county tier status and the full guidance document here.
Courts Close Jury Trial and Clerk’s Offices During COVID-19 Surge
Due to the significant surge in COVID-19 cases statewide, the corresponding orders for residents to stay-at-home, and based on an emergency order from the Chief Justice of the State of California, the San Mateo Superior Court has ordered that jury trials be suspended beginning Monday, December 14, and lasting through Friday, January 8, 2021.
The Court has also closed the majority of its Clerk’s Offices to the public and to all walk-in transactions to minimize foot traffic in the court facilities. In addition, the Court is suspending certain types of in-person hearings. Learn more.
COVID-19 Testing Available in County for Adults and Children
Safe, easy and no-cost testing is widely available at County-sponsored locations for everyone who works or lives in San Mateo County — regardless of symptoms.
To get a COVID-19 test, San Mateo County residents should first contact their health care provider.
If you cannot get a timely test through your health care provider, select from the testing options listed at https://www.smcgov.org/testing for a no-cost (free) COVID-19 test at a County-sponsored location.
Testing for Children and Adults
Testing for children ages 5 to 17 as well as adults is available at the San Mateo County Event Center and at the Jefferson Union High School District office in Daly City. Testing is available at no cost to you, but insurance may be billed. Learn more about testing dates and the process here and register for an appointment.
Testing for Adults
Appointments are available Tuesdays through Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the San Mateo County Event Center. Make an appointment
Testing for COVID-19 is also available at mobile operations that rotate among five communities Monday through Friday for everyone 18 and older who lives or works in San Mateo County
See the schedule below for mobile operation locations, Dec. 16 – Dec. 21, and make an appointment at least seven days in advance.
Half Moon Bay, Dec. 16, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Our Lady of the Pillar
565 Kelly Avenue
North Fair Oaks, Dec. 17 & 18, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Stanford Parking Lot
2685 Bay Road
San Bruno, Dec. 21, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
975 Sneath Lane
Remember: If you don't have access to the internet, an on-site volunteer may be able to help you register and get tested. The County STRONGLY recommends advance registration as you cannot be guaranteed a test otherwise.
San Mateo County COVID-19 Case Count
San Mateo County Health has updated the number of positive cases to 18,875 as of Dec 14, 2020.
County Health provides detailed information on cases by age group and date and deaths by age group. Learn more at https://www.smchealth.org/coronavirus
Call Center
Residents with non-medical, non-emergency questions about the coronavirus can call 211 or 800-273-6222 at any time, day or night. Callers from landlines and cellular telephones located within San Mateo County are connected with a trained service professional from 211, a confidential service available in 180 languages.
