September 23, 2020
  • county of san mateo joint information center

    REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – The County of San Mateo today announced expanding COVID-19 testing opportunities, including additional mobile operations and targeted testing where outbreaks are suspected.

    Increasing access to testing plays an important role in the County’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

    Knowing – and limiting – the extent of COVID-19 infections helps inform the public health response and plays a key role in determining what sectors of the economy are permitted to open and at what level of operations.

    “We want to see every available testing appointment filled every single day,” said County Manager Mike Callagy. “The testing pipeline is open, the turnaround time is fine and we need to get people tested.”

    Ensuring everyone in the county has access to testing is a central focus of the County’s response to the pandemic.

    “At the most fundamental level, increasing access to testing is about equity,” said Warren Slocum, President of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. “We want to make sure that everyone, regardless of income or immigration status or whether they have health insurance or not, has access to a local testing site.”

    Additional Paths to COVID-19 Tests

    The County’s strategy involves three tactics to increase testing:

    1. Scheduled testing at the San Mateo County Event Center
    2. Mobile testing in underserved communities
    3. Targeted, neighborhood testing

    A schedule for testing at the Event Center and mobile operations will be available on the County’s testing website.

    Event Center

    Verily’s Baseline COVID-19 Testing Program will offer testing Tuesdays through Saturdays at the San Mateo County Event Center from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

    With a goal to test 5,000 individuals each week, testing is no-cost and available to anyone without restriction and without regard to insurance coverage, although an appointment is required.

    Mobile Testing

    Under an agreement with the County, the  Baseline COVID-19 testing program will offer a mobile testing operation serving on a rotating basis the communities of Half Moon Bay, Daly City, San Bruno, East Palo Alto and North Fair Oaks.

    Mobile testing is available to anyone who lives or works in San Mateo County. “We are investing significant dollars in testing,” Callagy said. “Increasing testing and increasing testing opportunities for everyone is key.”

    To make an appointment for the Event Center or a mobile site, visit projectbaseline.com/COVID19 Registration opens 72 hours before testing dates.

    Remember to bring your photo ID and the reference ID from your confirmation email.

    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’s website provides details and short videos explaining testing procedures.

    Targeted Testing

    The County has launched a new initiative to provide targeted, neighborhood level testing to reduce barriers to access in at-risk communities.

    “By partnering with cities and local organizations, we can leverage hyper-local outreach and trusted networks to expand testing directly in communities,” Callagy said. “Our targeted neighborhood testing sites seek to increase testing in communities that need it most.”

    County Re-opening: Making Progress

    The state of California on Tuesday announced that indoor restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and places of worship may now open with restrictions in San Mateo County.

    The county moved to the second stage (red) of the state’s four-tiered, color-coded reopening system.

    Still, the county’s new risk level is considered “substantial” under the state’s monitoring system and officials caution that businesses and individuals must continue to follow health and safety guidelines. San Mateo County’s health order requiring face coverings, social distancing, and limited gatherings remains in effect.

    “This is not the time to let our guard down,” Callagy said. “We will continue social distancing, washing hands, limiting gatherings and getting more and more testing.”

    Local Data Dashboard

    San Mateo County Health has recorded a total of 9,664 cases and 144 deaths since the COVID-19 pandemic began in early March.

    The dashboard details the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths within San Mateo County, including by day, age, race/ethnicity and sex of patients as well as hospitalizations.