February 4, 2021
  • 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:

    How to Help During the Pandemic? Steer Clear of the Event Center
    Local officials ask the public to avoid the San Mateo County Event Center except for jury duty or other essential needs.

    Here’s what you need to know:

    ► Testing for COVID-19 is no longer available at the Event Center.
    ► Drive-through and walk-in testing has shifted to the College of San Mateo.
    ► If you are summoned to the Event Center for jury duty, follow directions on your summons.

    The Event Center is being used as a vaccination site for a limited number of eligible patients by appointment only. No drop-in patients will receive a vaccination.

    “We ask that you avoid going to the Event Center and the immediate area around the Event Center unless you have an appointment, jury duty or some other essential business,” said County Manager Mike Callagy. “We ask that everyone does their part to help the vaccination operation go smoothly and to be patient.”

    COVID-19 Vaccination Program, FAQs, Health Officer Statement
    In keeping with the State’s recently updated guidance, San Mateo County Health has begun to vaccinate priority 75-plus and 65-plus residents who receive medical care through our clinics and supply vaccine to our partners. We continue to vaccinate eligible Phase 1A health care workers and long-term care residents, as the supply of vaccines allows.

    Frequently asked questions are available here and are often updated.

    In a statement released Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, health officials in eight jurisdictions urged all health systems to prioritize shots for patients aged 65 and older because of the virus’ high mortality rate within that group.

    “The problem is that the supply is massively inadequate for the demand,” said Dr. Scott Morrow, San Mateo County’s health officer. “We all want to go faster, but until this supply issue is ameliorated, we won’t be able to.” Read the statement.

    Video Series: Conversations about Vaccine Equity
    Health Equity Officer Shireen Malekafzali speaks to Leroy Sims, MD, senior vice president for medical affairs at the NBA, about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine and issues of trust in communities of color with a history of mistreatment and inequities within the US medical system. Dr. Sims is also an emergency physician at Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in San Mateo County. https://youtu.be/0tS5PmpYn_Uhttps://youtu.be/0tS5PmpYn_U

    In Spanish, community health planner Tania Perez speaks to Mayela Perez, a nurse who works with agricultural workers on San Mateo County’s Coastside, about vaccine safety and what the community should know about the vaccine. https://youtu.be/aGdflvmbe98

    Facebook Live Event in Spanish to Address Concerns on COVID-19 Vaccine
    Take part this coming Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, in a Facebook Live event in Spanish titled "COVID-19 Vaccine Community Forum, My Body, My Mind, My Wellness, My Community!"

    The event who will address community concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine including tips to avoid health, labor and social inequities and the psycho-emotional effects of the pandemic.  The Spanish-speaking conversation will include:

    ► A Stanford University infectious diseases associate professor
    ► A County Health equity officer
    ► A Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County representative
    ► Mental health specialists

    The conversation takes place beginning at 6:30 p.m. on the County's Facebook page: @CountyofSanMateo https://www.facebook.com/CountyofSanMateo.

    The event is organized and hosted by San Mateo County Health's Office of Diversity and Equity, Office of Consumer and Family Affairs, and the County's Office of Community Affairs.

    COVID-19 Vaccination Totals
    Vaccinations for San Mateo County residents are reported to SMC Health via the California Immunization Registry. As of Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, a total of 69,766 individuals have received a vaccine shot for COVID-19 in San Mateo County. Of those, 15,703 have completed the two-shot vaccination series.

    County Health provides publicly available dashboards on the number of individuals who have received the COVID-19 vaccination as age and demographic data on recipients.

    COVID-19 Testing Widely Available Across San Mateo County
    Testing for COVID-19 – even among those who do not have symptoms – is an important tool in helping us all control the pandemic. Testing is widely available across San Mateo County and is provided at no out-of-pocket costs to individuals.

    If you have health insurance, your first call should be to your healthcare provider or system of care (Kaiser Permanente, Dignity Health, Sutter Health/PAMF, for instance). The state of California provides a searchable map of COVID-19 testing sites.

    In addition, the County offers no-cost testing for everyone who lives or works in San Mateo County – regardless of symptoms. No-cost testing is available at the College of San Mateo and at locations from Daly City to East Palo Alto.

    Check out our site to see if you can schedule an appointment at a testing site near you. You can also call 2-1-1 for assistance in locating a testing site near you.

    Media Briefing Available on Video
    County Manager Mike Callagy’s Feb. 3, 2021, update to the news media on the local response to COVID-19 is available on the County’s YouTube channel at  https://youtu.be/Mt0XVHpzStM.

    In the 40-minute briefing, Callagy provides information on vaccine distribution and case counts and answers questions from Bay Area news reporters. Subscribe to the County’s YouTube channel to help stay informed.

    Health Order Business Compliance 
    The County believes most businesses and individuals want to comply with state and local health orders to keep themselves and the community safe. The primary focus is on education and voluntary compliance. 

    As of Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2021, the County has received 1,301 complaints to the Business Engagement and Compliance Program. Of those, 88 percent have been abated, meaning the violation was either not found or was corrected on the spot. Other cases are in progress or under further investigation. Citations issued to businesses have amounted to $32,000.

    Learn more about reporting and appeals.

    Defendant Must Comply with Health Orders: San Mateo County Superior Court
    A judge today issued a preliminary injunction ordering Pacifica Beach Yoga to follow all COVID-19 public health orders in response to a complaint filed by the County of San Mateo.

    Superior Court Judge Danny Chou ordered the fitness studio, located at 1615 Oceana Blvd., Pacifica, to fully comply with all health orders that are in effect, including following the tier-based capacity restrictions and enforcing face covering and social distancing requirements.  That means that at this time, its indoor operations must remain closed.

    The County filed suit against the studio in January following numerous public complaints and after the owner refused repeated requests by County staff to voluntarily comply with public health orders.

    In today’s ruling, Judge Chou reiterated that the repeated violations of the public health orders “present a grave risk and immediate threat to public health, including the risk of serious illness and death….”

    San Mateo County COVID-19 Case Count
    County Health reports a total of 36,451 cases of COVID-19 through Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021. This is approximately double the number of cases (18,290) recorded as of Dec. 7, 2020. Reported deaths are 395.

    Visit County Health’s data dashboard for details regarding COVID-19 cases by date, age and race/ethnicity.

    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.