Callagy: San Mateo County has capacity to accommodate more COVID-19 patients

Of the 427 hospital beds established to accommodate the expected surge of patients, only 108 are occupied — leaving 80% of the beds available for those needing urgent care, said Callagy.

Recognizing there are limited silver linings when discussing the response to a global pandemic, Callagy expressed relative comfort with the county’s preparedness.

“That’s overall great news that we still have that capacity,” he said.

He also acknowledged the county maintains a variety of other supplemental beds such as the temporary facility established at the San Mateo County Event Center and in Burlingame which are largely unused. And he said testing conducted at the Event Center is well below capacity.

“Those numbers are encouraging,” he said.

There remains a local cache of ventilators, as only 25% of the county’s supply is in use. And while 56 of the county’s intensive care unit beds are occupied, 35 are still available, according to the county health website.

But the county’s need for personal protection equipment is still dire. Callagy said the county has ordered millions of pieces of equipment for health care workers, in an effort to build supply back up to the levels reached before the outbreak. Some of the orders may not come in for weeks though, as health systems across the globe compete for a limited supply of vital equipment.

Pharmaceutical company Gilead is joining the fight locally with a $1 million contribution to the San Mateo County Strong fund, which officials are planning to distribute to businesses, residents and nonprofits.

Callagy expressed his appreciation for the donation, while calling for more contributions to the effort led by the San Mateo County Economic Development Association, or SAMCEDA.

Looking ahead, he said county officials are continue to work on modeling which will help prepare the region for the potential surge of patients. He said there is not enough data collected yet to be considered significant.

Supply lines at grocery stores remain healthy, said Callagy, who discouraged hoarding and emergency buying. And he said county officials expect to select an administrator who can serve as a liaison between cities and food pantries as well as nonprofit organizations to best meet the needs of specific communities.