Redwood City – As an employer and a service provider, the County of San Mateo requires all employees and visitors to County facilities to wear face coverings. The requirement took effect at the start of business today (July 26, 2021).
This requirement from the County does not apply to businesses, other government agencies or private employers of any type across San Mateo County.
Businesses, other government agencies and private employers of any type are encouraged to require face coverings but are free to set their own requirements and to follow state, federal, and industry-specific guidelines.
The County’s local masking requirement applies solely to County-operated facilities. This follows guidelines from the state of California that allow employers (the County employs approximately 5,000 people) to set their own masking requirements.
County-operated facilities include the Hall of Justice in Redwood City, primary health care and behavioral health clinics, San Mateo Medical Center, vital records, the Sheriff’s Office and substations, Human Services Agency offices, Child Support Services and all other public-facing operations. A full list of departments can be found at https://www.smcgov.org/departments
Masks have been required throughout the pandemic at all County-operated health and public safety facilities. The County’s mask mandate for County-operated facilities seeks to protect public health and has been implemented in an abundance of caution.
As case rates rise and the highly transmissible Delta variant is increasingly prevalent, health officers around the Bay Area have recommended that everyone wear masks indoors, regardless of their vaccination status.