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:
Bay Area Health Officers Support Full In-person School this Fall
A coalition of Bay Area health officers issued a statement today supporting the opening of California schools for full time in-person instruction for all grades in the fall of 2021.
The lack of in-person learning has disrupted education, weakened the social supports provided by school communities, negatively impacted mental health, and prevented participation in the rituals and shared milestones that tie our communities together, according to the statement.
“Students, parents, teachers, coaches – and their families – deserve our thanks for the considerable sacrifices they have made,” said Dr. Scott Morrow, San Mateo County health officer. “It’s time to move past the remote-learning model and back to the full range of learning and support that our educational communities provide.”
The full statement is available here.
Watch the today’s news conference by the health officers.
County To Align with June 15 State Reopening Plan
The County of San Mateo is committed to align with California’s June 15 COVID-19 reopening plans.
The County since last summer has aligned with California’s guidelines for capacity limits, face coverings and physical distancing requirements under the color-coded Blueprint for a Safer Economy. This alignment has allowed businesses and individuals to make decisions based on consistent guidelines.
On June 15, California is expected to retire the color-coded system and lift capacity and distancing restrictions for most businesses and activities. The state issued “Beyond the Blueprint” guidance for industry and business sectors scheduled to take effect June 15.
Need to Get Vaccinated? Check out the Clinic Calendar
Vaccinations are available throughout San Mateo County, at County-sponsored clinics, community clinics, private health care providers, pharmacies and other venues.
See a list of County-operated and -partner clinics, with times and locations, here.
Appointments are accessed via MyTurn — but appointments are not required. Moderna clinics are open to residents 18+.
Vaccination is available to residents age 12 and older with the Pfizer vaccine. For residents 12-17 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 a number of languages.
Free County Fair Admission With On-Site Vaccination
San Mateo County Fair attendees 12 and older who get vaccinated on site will receive free admission for themselves and any household members under 11, along with a $20 food voucher and four ride tickets.
Both Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) vaccines will be available at Gate 5 and those under 18 must have parental consent. The parental consent form is available in a number of languages from San Mateo County Health.
The County will host second dose clinics at the Event Center in July for those who prefer to return to the same location but individuals can also make second-dose appointments at a preferred site on the state’s MyTurn site.
The County and partners are promoting vaccine availability to at-risk populations. June 12 marks Pacific Islands Day at the fair and the incentive program is open to the first 1,500 individuals age 12 and over (with parental consent for minors) on that day as well as Sunday, June 13 which is a special Dia de la Feria.
The incentive program is also available for San Mateo County residents on Saturday, June 5; Sunday, June 6; and Friday, June 11.
The County Fair daily schedule, hours and map are available here.
Vaccine Transportation Assistance
The state’s MyTurn vaccination program is helping Californians get vaccinated by offering transportation assistance to help people get to their vaccination appointments. My Turn is also offering in-home services to Californians with limited mobility or fragile health.
Residents can request transportation or in-home services via My Turn or by calling the COVID-19 hotline (833-422-4255). The COVID-19 Hotline offers support in more than 250 languages. Learn more about vaccine transportation assistance and in-home vaccination: https://myturn.ca.gov/.
Welcome Back to Improved Memorial Park
Memorial County Park – the oldest in the County Parks system – has reopened for camping following extensive renovations.
Updated restrooms and showers and a new water treatment facility are among the improvements. Ranger Rob Cala produced a video on how to check in quickly and remain COVID-19-safe while visiting the park. Learn more on the County Parks website.
Join a Webinar on Opportunities this Summer in County Parks
County Parks and San Mateo County Libraries are teaming up to offer a webinar on programs and activities occurring this summer in our Parks. Registration is free.
At the end participants will have a chance to ask a ranger any questions you may have about the flora and fauna of San Mateo County. All ages welcome. Learn more and register here.
Vaccine Doses Administered Tops 950,000
A total of 543,014 individuals 12 or older have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot in San Mateo County as of Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Of the total, 442,313 individuals have completed the vaccination series. The total number of doses administered is 951,460.
COVID-19 Case Counts
County Health reports a total of 42,097 total cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, June 2, 2021. Although the total is preliminary, no new cases were reported on Wednesday.
Deaths attributed to COVID-19 are 576, up three deaths from a week ago.
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.