May 27, 2021
  • county of san mateo joint information center

    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 Thursday until further notice. Today’s report:

    Vaccine Widely Available as County Winds Down Mass Vaccination Sites
    As the percentage of residents who have received at least one dose of vaccine has increased, the County is shifting focus from mass vaccination sites to operations in neighborhoods and other targed areas.

    Vaccinations are available throughout San Mateo County, at County-sponsored clinics, community clinics, private health care providers, pharmacies and other venues.

    Many churches and schools have joined the list of County-sponsored vaccination sites. See a list of county-operated and -partner clinics, with times and locations. Appointments may be accessed via MyTurn four or more days before the date of the clinic — but appointments are not required for most clinics.  

    Moderna clinics are open to residents 18 and over. Vaccination is available to residents age 12 and older with the Pfizer vaccine. For residents 12 to 17 to get vaccinated, they must either be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the vaccination clinic or bring a signed copy of the vaccination consent form available in multiple languages.

    Volunteers and County workers hit the street in East Palo Alto to spread the word about vaccine opportunities.
    Volunteers and County workers hit the street in East Palo Alto to spread the word about vaccine opportunities.

    Focus on Neighborhood Efforts to Raise Vaccination Rates
    As the County’s mass vaccination sites wind down, teams led by the Office of Community Affairs are fanning across neighborhoods to raise awareness about local vaccination opportunities.

    These teams include multilingual County employees and volunteers who work with local civic leaders to reach people who are reluctant to get vaccinated or have been unable to travel to vaccination centers. These teams distributed over 13,600 flyers in April and May.

    As of Wednesday, May 26, 2021, approximately 80.2 percent of eligible San Mateo County residents have received at least one shot of COVID-19 vaccine.

    In East Palo Alto, approximately 52 percent have received at least one shot as of Tuesday, May 25, 2021. Those numbers stood Tuesday at approximately 72 percent in Daly City, 64 percent in North Fair Oaks and 75 percent in South San Francisco, according to County Health dashboards.

    The County is working with community-based organizations to help answer questions from reluctant residents and to help spread the word about local vaccination sites in these and other areas with lower-than-average vaccination rates. No advance registration is necessary at County-sponsored local sites.

    “Canvassing has been a perfect way for me to make a difference in the push to get our community vaccinated,” said volunteer Kendall Levison. “Both the County employees and local residents I’ve encountered during my time volunteering have been welcoming and friendly, and the staff has been great at showing me the ropes. I’m a recent college grad and this work has been an excellent way for me to use my time productively while I’m job searching.”

    Vaccine Doses Administered Tops 930,000
    A total of 535,332 individuals have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot in San Mateo County as of Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Of the total, 430,419 individuals have completed the vaccination series, bringing the total number of doses administered to 931,436.

    SMC Strong with Veronica Escamez of Casa Circulo Cultural

    San Mateo County Strong Relief Fund Recipients Share Their Stories
    As the pandemic hit last year, the Board of Supervisors approved a $3 million contribution to the San Mateo County Strong Fund to help those most impacted by COVID-19 with essential needs. 

    Half a year later in December 2020, the San Mateo County Strong Fund developed the Restaurant, Brewery and Winery Relief Program and now nears $4 million in donations and pledges. 

    Today, these emergency funds are making a big difference in the lives of San Mateo County residents, from seniors, families and immigrants to small businesses, students and childcare providers. 

    Hear stories from those who have directly benefitted from the San Mateo County Strong relief funds during the pandemic, on the County’s YouTube channel.

    To support the Restaurant, Brewery and Winery Relief Program, please visit: www.smcucommunityfund.org

    To support the overall impact of the San Mateo County Strong Fund, please visit: www.SMCStrong.org

    To support the San Mateo County Immigrant Relief Fund, please visit: https://www.classy.org/campaign/directcashassistance/c277176

    County Manager’s Media Briefing
    The Wednesday, May 26, media briefing on the County’s response to COVID-19 hosted by County Manager Mike Callagy can be viewed on YouTube at https://youtu.be/a04fsEltu0E

    County Health Chief’s Letter to the Community
    Read County Health Chief Louise Rogers’ most recent community update.

    COVID-19 Case Counts
    County Health reports a total of 42,056 total cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, May 26, 2021. Deaths attributed to COVID-19 stand at 573.

    Additional information, such as cases by age group, cases by race/ethnicity and deaths by age, is available at https://www.smchealth.org/data-dashboard/county-data-dashboard

    Testing, even for those fully vaccinated, remains essential to protecting public health. Get tested if you have been exposed to someone who is positive, if you have been in a crowd where people were not wearing masks, or if you have symptoms.

    Getting tested (and quarantining if you are positive) protects those who are ineligible to get the vaccine, such as youth under 12, and those who have not yet been vaccinated.

    211 Call Center
    Residents with non-medical, non-emergency questions about the coronavirus can call 211 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.

    You can also text your zip code to 898-211. The system will ask for your age and gender in order to understand your eligibility and needs. You can then ask a question and receive a text response from a 211 operator.

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