August 4, 2020
  • 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 Tuesday and Thursday until further notice. Today’s report:

    Fines Possible for Health Order Violations, Including Refusing to Wear Face Coverings

    The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors at today’s meeting approved an ordinance that allows new penalties for individuals who violate health orders, including refusing to wear a face covering in San Mateo County and commercial entities who allow these violations.

    Individuals not adhering to health orders can receive a $100 fine for the first violation, $200 for the second and $500 for additional violations within the same year. Commercial entities risk a minimum fine of $250 and a maximum of $3,000 per violation depending on the gravity of the health risk, prior warnings and any good faith efforts to comply.

    Supervisors David Canepa and Warren Slocum, who jointly introduced the ordinance, said they prefer education before imposing fines but the public needs to understand that wearing a face covering must be non-negotiable.

    “If you don’t wear your face mask, then you should be fined. This ordinance decriminalizes violations of the health order essentially but at the same time gives us an added tool to enforce compliance of the state’s face covering and social distancing mandates,” Canepa said. “If we want to return to normal and save lives then we must wear face masks, it’s that simple.”

    See news release at https://bit.ly/30qX8Ta

    Now on State Watch List, Additional County Businesses Must Close

    On Aug. 1 mid-day, the state informed San Mateo County that due to being more than 3 days on the COVID monitoring list, specific indoor businesses must cease operations beginning 12:01 a.m. Aug. 2, 2020, unless they can be modified to operate outside or by pick-up. 

    See the list of businesses ordered to close at https://bit.ly/2XvlSrw

    See more information at https://www.smcgov.org/smc-reopening

    Temporary Eviction Moratorium, Repayment Period Extended through August 31

    The Board of Supervisors today approved an amendment to Emergency Regulation 2020-001, a temporary, countywide moratorium on eviction for non-payment of rent by residential tenants directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through Aug. 31, 2020, and extended the time period in which delayed payments shall be made.

    The action places a temporary countywide moratorium on evictions from residential units for:

    (1)  non-payment of rent by tenants directly impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic; and 

    (2) certain no-fault causes unless the eviction is necessary for the health and safety of the tenant, other residents in the tenant's building, the landlord, or the landlord's family.

    (3) ammends repayment period for delayed payments.

    Read the full staff report at https://bit.ly/3keb4YA

    See more tenant information at https://www.smcgov.org/covid-19-help-residential-and-commercial-renters

    Placement on State Watch List Impacts San Mateo County Schools

    The flexibility of local schools to pursue various in-person learning options for the 2020-21 school year became somewhat limited when San Mateo County was formally placed on the 

    State’s monitoring list Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020. 

    See the implications for elementary, middle and high schools at https://bit.ly/3i0BxHk

    San Mateo County COVID-19 Cases
    San Mateo County Health has updated the number of positive cases to 5,744 as of Aug. 3, 2020.

    County Health provides detailed information on cases by age group and date and deaths by age group. Learn more at https://www.smchealth.org/coronavirus

    Call Center
    Residents with non-medical, non-emergency questions about the coronavirus can call 211 or 800-273-6222 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.

    Approve an amendment to Emergency Regulation 2020-001, a temporary, Countywide moratorium on eviction for non-payment of rent by residential tenants directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic through August 31, 2020, to extend the time period in which Delayed Payments shall be paid for up to 12 months.

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