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Redwood City –
Visitors to all indoor County of San Mateo facilities will be required to wear a face covering as of Monday, July 26, due to a troubling rise in coronavirus cases.
As case rates rise and the highly transmissible Delta variant is increasingly prevalent, health officers around the Bay Area have recommended that everyone wear masks indoors, regardless of their vaccination status. The Delta variant, which is more contagious and spreads more easily and quickly than other variants, has become the dominant strain in California and is now responsible for more than 80 percent of cases nationwide.
The County of San Mateo, out of an abundance of caution and to protect public health, is requiring face coverings as of Monday for the public when indoors at County offices, clinics and other publicly accessible facilities. The masking requirement is similar to guidelines in place before the state’s June 15, 2021, reopening.
“Our deepest condolences go out to all of you who have lost loved ones and friends due to the pandemic,” said County Manager Mike Callagy. “The increasing case numbers are a harsh reminder that we are not done with COVID and COVID is not done with us. Let’s all continue to do our part by getting vaccinated and taking common-sense precautions so we can keep all of us safe.”
Although vaccines are proven to be highly effective against COVID-19, County officials said they need to take action now to protect younger children and overall public health as cases rise.
On June 15, the day of the state reopening, County Health recorded 13 new COVID-19 cases. That number grew to 74 cases on July 15, and the trend continues to be troublesome.
The latest seven-day average of cases per 100,000 people is 5.2. It was 1.3 in mid-June.
The latest test positivity rate is 2.6 percent; the test positivity rate was around 0.4 percent a month ago.
To date, County Health has identified 43,444 positive cases of COVID-19 across all of San Mateo County and 584 deaths.
A week ago, July 14, there were four people hospitalized with COVID-19. There are now 15 people with COVID-19 in the hospital and six of those are in the intensive care unit.
Vaccination is Widely Available in San Mateo County
Vaccinations are available throughout San Mateo County, at County-sponsored clinics, community clinics, private health care providers, pharmacies and other venues.
The County and partners operate vaccination clinics from Daly City to East Palo Alto. You can find dates, hours and locations on County Health’s website.
Appointments are accessed via MyTurn four or more days before the date of the clinic — but appointments are not required. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) clinics are open to residents 18 and over.
Vaccination is available to residents age 12 and older with the Pfizer vaccine. For residents 12 to 17 to get vaccinated, they must either be accompanied by a parent or guardian at the vaccination clinic or bring a signed copy of the vaccination consent form.
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Media Contact: Michelle Durand
Chief Communications Officer
County of San Mateo
mdurand@smcgov.org
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