County of San Mateo News Update: February 23, 2023

     February 23, 2023

Board of Supervisors to End Local COVID-19 Emergency

At it's Feb. 28, 2023, meeting, the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors will vote on adopting a resolution proclaiming the end of the public health emergency for COVID-19. The agenda item comes after Gov. Gavin Newsom said last year that the statewide public health emergency will end Feb. 28, as well as President Biden’s announcement that the federal state of emergency will end May 11. Other Bay Area counties including, San Francisco, Santa Clara and Marin, have said they also plan to end their states of emergency on Feb. 28.

County Health Revamps COVID Dashboards

County Health is assessing its related local data dashboards about cases, geographic impacts, hospitalization, and testing as the COVID-19 public health emergency declarations end Feb. 28. Changes to the dashboards include retiring case and testing data dashboards and improving the display of COVID hospitalization and death trends to better depict what can be understood about the level of disease severity over time. The State of California’s wastewater surveillance dashboard and case and test positivity data from San Mateo County will continue to provide useful data about the local prevalence of the disease.

Storms, High Winds Close Some County Parks & Trails

Conditions at a few County Parks are compromised due to a spate of stormy weather resulting in fallen trees, landslides and trail damage from heavy rains and high winds. As a safety precaution, some parks and trails are closed, including Fitzgerald Marine Reserve and Sawyer Camp Trail. Select trails at Coyote Point Recreation Area, where more than 20 trees fell this week, Pillar Point Bluff, Devil’s Slide Trail, and Junipero Serra Park are also closed. An updated list of closures can be found here. Report storm damage to (650) 363-4020 or parksandrecreation@smcgov.org

Disaster Recovery Center Open Through March 14

A federal Disaster Recovery Center will remain open at the San Mateo County Event Center through March 14 to help residents affected by recent storms learn about available assistance. Operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and California Office of Emergency Services, the center will operate daily at the San Mateo County Event Center from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., including weekends. Note the center will close at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14. The deadline to apply for FEMA assistance is March 16, 2023.

State Awards $42.8 Million to Affordable Housing Projects

The state has awarded $42.8 million to develop three local affordable housing projects, including coastal apartments reserved for farmworkers and their families. The funds will go to helping build a total of 212 units in Daly City, Burlingame and Moss Beach. The state funding builds on the County’s financial pledge to each project. Boosting the county’s supply of affordable housing is a goal of the Board of Supervisors. While all three projects remain in the planning stage, local officials expect the state’s financial commitment will help the developers secure additional financing.

County Task Force to Improve Farm Labor Housing Sites

The County of San Mateo launched a task force that is committed to improving the living conditions of farmworkers who reside in employer-provided housing.  The task force will ensure compliance with local and state rules and regulations that affect the health and safety of employer-providing housing for farmworkers and their families. The task force includes the County’s Planning and Building Department, Environmental Health, Department of Ag/Weights and Measures, Attorney’s Office and the District Attorney. 

Want to read more articles?

Connect with us!