November 5, 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:

    Board Accepts State Funding for Project Homekey Purchases
    The Board of Supervisors today voted to accept more than $33 million awarded by the state to purchase two projects totaling 170 rooms to provide long-term housing and shelter to vulnerable residents experiencing or at risk of homelessness, including those who lost shelter due to COVID-19.

    One project, the Pacific Inn in Redwood City, will provide service-enriched interim housing to individuals experiencing homelessness and are highly vulnerable to COVID-19. The on-site services and connection to off-site services will help residents stay successfully housed both in the interim and in the transition to permanent affordable housing.

    The second project, the TownePlace Suites Hotel in Redwood Shores, will provide permanent housing for seniors who meet certain criteria, including qualifying as extremely low income, below 30 percent of median family income for the area, as determined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

    Project Homekey grew from Project Roomkey, the state’s initial homeless housing initiative launched earlier in the pandemic.

    See full news release here

    Great Plates Serves 3,000, Funding Extended through November
    The Great Plates program reached a significant milestone, recently having served it’s 3,000th client.
    Great Plates has been delivering meals since May to older adults in San Mateo County who are at heightened risk due to COVID-19 and are unable to obtain or prepare meals on their own while sheltering in place during the coronavirus outbreak.

    To see if you qualify, call (800) 675-8437 or visit http://smcgov.org/food. The program is currently set to expire Nov. 8 unless the state extends it. However, the County has committed to continuing the program through the end of the month.

    CSAC Recognizes County’s Digital Inclusion Pilot for Students During COVID-19
    The California State Association of Counties (CSAC) announced San Mateo County’s digital inclusion pilot plan as a Merit Award recipient in the 2020 Challenge Awards which spotlights the most innovative programs developed by California counties.

    The County’s pilot plan addresses the lack of internet connectivity for school-aged youth in three high-need school districts which became urgent when the COVID-19 pandemic prompted education to go online. Through a public-private partnership and the use of GIS, connectivity intervention zones were identified and three solutions were created.

    The pilot program was launched in August 2020, and in the first week, county subsidized T-Mobile access points were distributed to 275 students. By November 2020, the county is expected to connect 972 out of 1,241 (78 percent ) impacted students living within the boundaries of the three school districts using a combination of SMC Public Wi-Fi nodes, “Drive- Fi” sites, and subsidized service from Internet service providers.

    See more information about CSAC 2020 Challenge Awards recipients at https://www.counties.org/post/2020-challenge-award-recipients

    County Manager’s Media Briefing on YouTube
    The Nov. 4, 2020, media briefing on the County of San Mateo’s response to COVID-19 hosted by San Mateo County Manager Mike Callagy can be viewed at https://youtu.be/mKcVf6CP48A

    Subscribe to the County’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/sanmateocountygov

    Accessible COVID-19 Testing Available for Adults and Children
    Whether you’re concerned because of your job or your living situation, or you’re afraid you’ve been exposed, or if you’re just worried about COVID-19, testing is a wise choice and is available in San Mateo County.

    The COVID-19 diagnostic test is safe, easy and at no-cost to you regardless of which testing site you choose. Adults age 18 and over can schedule a test Tuesdays through Saturdays at the San Mateo County Event Center or at a rotating series of neighborhood locations. Days and times are listed below.

    Testing for Adults and Children at San Mateo County Event Center
    The County and its testing partner Curative Inc. are offering no-cost, self-administered oral swab COVID-19 testing for children age 5 and older at the San Mateo County Event Center.

    Testing is open by appointment to all families that live in San Mateo County with children ages 5 and older. Appointments for the drive-through testing are available weekdays from 1 to 8 p.m. and can be made here.

    Adult Testing at Neighborhood Locations
    Testing for COVID-19 is also available at mobile operations that rotate among five communities Monday through Friday for everyone 18 and older who lives or works in San Mateo County.

    See the schedule below for Nov. 6 - 10 and make an appointment at least seven days in advance at Project Baseline.

    East Palo Alto, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m., Nov. 6
    2160 Euclid Avenue

    Daly City, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Nov.9 & 10
    Jefferson Union High School District Office
    699 Serramonte Boulevard

    Remember: If you don't have access to the internet, an on-site volunteer may be able to help you register and get tested.

    Information on testing options, including at the San Mateo Event Center and at neighborhood mobile sites in San Mateo County, can be found at https://www.smcgov.org/testing.

    San Mateo County COVID-19 Case Count
    San Mateo County Health has updated the number of positive cases to 11,564 as of Nov. 4, 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.