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:
COVID-19 Testing Remains Vital
Testing the public for COVID-19 is vital on two fronts: it alerts public health officials to outbreaks – allowing infected patients to begin treatment and isolation sooner – and can help ease restrictions if case rates continue to fall.
“Testing has been decreasing … as the public loses interest and yet testing remains important to understand the prevalence of the virus and prevent the spread – so again we want to reinforce the message that safe, easy, no cost testing is still widely available throughout San Mateo County,” said Louise Rogers, chief of San Mateo County Health.
Locations and appointments are available on the County testing website: https://www.smcgov.org/testing.
Move to Yellow Tier Possible May 4
San Mateo County remains in the second-most lenient category – orange – in the state’s four-tier color-coded blueprint for easing COVID-19-related restrictions.
The county could potentially move to the most lenient category – yellow – on May 4 if key metrics are met.
As of Monday, April 20, 2021, the county recorded 3.9 new COVID-19 cases per day per 100,000 of the population with an adjusted case rate (based on testing) of 2.0. The county also recorded a 0.9 percent positivity rate over seven days and a 1.4 percent positivity rate in neighborhoods most heavily impacted by the virus.
Learn about the CDPH monitoring and tier assignment metrics here.
New Guidance for Indoor Events, Gatherings, Places of Worship
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has published new health and safety guidance for several activities.
- Private Venues and Events: Available here.
- Indoor Seated Live Events and Performances: Available here.
- Gatherings: Available here.
- Places of Worship and Cultural Ceremonies: Available here under “Industry guidance”
Unsure how to implement the required vaccine check/testing requirements for your small event?
The San Mateo County/Silicon Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau's webinar “Best Practices to Comply with Vaccine Check & COVID Testing for Small Events” has answers.
Watch it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tqyW22Qqeo
San Mateo County Health has compiled guidance from the CDPH and other key sources available here.
Guidance for Fully Vaccinated Persons
The CDPH also issued guidance for fully vaccinated persons. The guidelines apply to people two weeks after full vaccination. The guidance is available here.
Need a Record of Your Vaccination?
All vaccine administrators in the state report each vaccination to the California Immunization Registry where you can log in to see an official record of your immunizations.
Visit their website and submit your request using this form.
Please note that this process requires you to verify your identity by uploading a copy of a photo ID, and then creating an account. The State offers support via
- Email through CAIRHelpDesk@cdph.ca.gov
- Phone at 800-578-7889
Restaurant Revitalization Fund
Help is here for the restaurant industry — among the hardest-hit sectors during the economic downturn caused by the pandemic.
The U.S. Small Business Administration through the "Restaurant Revitalization Fund" is providing emergency assistance for eligible restaurants, bars, and other qualifying businesses that suffered revenue losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Details on application requirements, eligibility and a program guide are now available in English at www.sba.gov/restaurants or in Spanish at http://www.sba.gov/restaurantes.
San Mateo County Emergency Rental Assistance Program
San Mateo County is working with the State of California to provide emergency rental assistance to San Mateo County residents who have experienced a financial hardship due to COVID-19 and have been unable to pay their rent and/or utilities.
The program is for both eligible tenants and landlords, and proof of citizenship is not required.Local parnters are available to provide technical assistance to interested applicants. Learn more here.
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought overwhelming grief to many families. The Federal Emergency Management Agency provides help to ease some of the financial stress and burden caused by the virus.
Call the COVID-19 Funeral Assistance Line Number at 844-684-6333 / TTY: 800-462-7585 or learn more on FEMA’s website where information is available in a number of languages.
Upcoming Events
April 29 from 3 to 5 p.m.: "Community & COVID 4th Town Hall: A Year Later."
San Mateo County Behavioral Health & Recovery Services' Diversity and Equity Council would like to hear from the community about challenges, community growth, and opportunities for continued support. Interpretation available in Spanish. Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LhLL_pxJQFyBArQOZDlFVQ. For more information or for support with registration, contact Frances Lobos at flobos@smcgov.org.
May 1 at 10 a.m.: Mental Health Month Kick Off. Facebook Live @smchealth @CountyofSanMateo. Watch a cooking demo, enjoy a nature meditation, learn about common mental health myths with a mental health expert, and hear about all the ways you can participate throughout the entire month of May.
Vaccine Eligibility for Residents 16 and Older
All California residents age 16 and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines.
Residents are urged to check for availability and appointments with their health care providers and local pharmacies. California provides a “VaccineFinder” tool at https://covid19.ca.gov/vaccines/
Residents can also sign up at myturn.ca.gov or call (833) 422-4255 to get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment. If appointments are not available, residents can sign up to be notified when they are.
San Mateo County residents are encouraged to also sign up for the County’s notification tool to receive information about how to make an appointment.
Vaccine Doses Administered Tops 650,000
A total of 416,367 individuals have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot in San Mateo County as of Wednesday, April 21, 2021. This represents 64.8 percent of county residents age 16 and older.
Of the total, 271,296 individuals have completed the vaccination series, bringing the total number of doses administered to 659,372.
COVID-19 Case Counts
County Health reports a total of 41,261 total cases of COVID-19 as of Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Deaths attributed to COVID-19 stand at 560.
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
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.
