San Mateo County builds resources needed for reopening

“All three of those legs are coming together,” said Callagy, regarding the central areas of focus identified by officials who are building a strategy for loosening the stay-at-home order.

Callagy said 6,600 COVID-19 test kits arrived this week, more than have been available to date, and that providers are suggesting additional kits can be available by as soon as next week.

“It’s going to be critical to getting testing out there and really understanding the spread of the disease,” said Callagy. Ultimately, he hoped as many as 1,600 to 1,800 daily tests can be conducted.

County officials are also interested in establishing more testing sites in the northern and southern portions of the county to accommodate communities with limited access. Talks had formed around launching a testing center operated by Optum in Daly City and East Palo Alto, before the deal fell through. Officials were intrigued by the service because the tests are self administered and are not as invasive at the standard nasal swab exam.

About 15,000 tests have been completed in San Mateo County, with 1,341 confirmed cases. There have been 56 deaths linked to the virus, and 59 patients are currently hospitalized, with 13 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units.

Officials are simultaneously focused on tracing the contacts of confirmed cases, with hopes of identifying others who may have been exposed. Callagy said he is uncertain how many contacts have been traced so far, but County Health CEO Louise Rogers said a detailed plans on the initiative will be available in a week or so.

Callagy credited the local urgency to pursue tracing, claiming San Mateo County is one of the first in the state to move on the initiative. He has previously said a small army of workers have been trained to track down contacts.

For personal protective equipment, Callagy said millions of vital equipment pieces for first responders arrived recently. He said the county received 100,000 surgical masks, 15,000 coveralls, 52,000 goggles, 50,000 gowns, 500,000 gloves and more than 11,000 gallons of hand sanitizer, with more deliveries anticipated soon.

“We can certainly really breathe a sigh of relief in knowing we at least have the PPE we need,” said Callagy.

The comment is a marked departure from previous assessments of the search for equipment amid the pandemic, which Callagy had previously described as the “Wild, Wild West” — an unregulated environment rife with broken promises and unreliable dealers. The collection of assets gives Callagy confidence the county is no longer “redlining” on its supply.

With the stockpile, Callagy said county officials can offer to loan some equipment to health care facilities not as successful in building up a supply.

He also noted the San Mateo County Strong fund opened a phase of grant applications to nonprofit organizations seeking financial support to provide aid to those suffering amid the global pandemic. As much as $20,000 per grant will be available and county officials anticipate between $500,000 and $600,000 will be awarded.

Also, this week the fund will distribute $780,000 in grants to small businesses which applied for financial aid. Hundreds of businesses sought support from the fund, including 289 in San Mateo, 160 in Redwood City, 144 in Burlingame, 119 in South San Francisco and 100 in San Carlos.

In total, 991 donors have contributed to the fund which holds about $7.5 million, including a $3 million donation from the county Board of Supervisors.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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