San Mateo County mask mandate ending

California’s indoor mask mandate is slated to expire in a week and when that happens, San Mateo County officials will be aligning with the move, Rogers said.

After the state lifted masking requirements over the summer, county officials joined other Bay Area jurisdictions in mandating indoor masking starting in August as cases from the delta variant began to surge. Rogers noted local orders were superseded by a state mandate that went in place in December as the omicron variant pushed COVID-19 cases to historic highs.

But cases are now beginning to fall. As of Monday, Feb. 7, the county was experiencing an average of 85 new cases for every 100,000 residents, or about 663 new cases per day, down from the 1,123 cases per day reported last week.

Compared to when cases peaked at 239 cases for 100,000 on Jan. 8, cases have fallen by 64%, Rogers said. And hospitalizations have also declined substantially from an average of about 140 patients being treated on any given day to about 84 this week.

As conditions continue to improve, Rogers said health officials will be shifting their focus toward offering guidance on how to live with the virus as safely as possible. Officials plan on returning to the board at a later date with additional information on what that change in public health response priorities means, Rogers said.

“The way we’re really thinking about this is to de-emphasize the word end in endemic. It’s not that the virus is going to disappear. Endemic is really about accepting that it will be present in the environment and we all have to take steps to protect ourselves and our family members and our communities in ways that are appropriate for the situation,” Rogers said.

Still, Rogers noted masking requirements will not be lifted across the board. They will still be mandated in certain settings such as public transportation, medical or correctional facilities, in schools or congregate care settings and in homeless shelters.

The unvaccinated will also be required to wear masks when indoors meaning establishments will be tasked with deciding whether to request all who enter their buildings to wear masks, check for vaccination status or abide by the honor system.

“I think we ought to always protect ourselves,” Supervisor Carole Groom said after recommending the public always carry a mask when out in public.

Vaccination push

In addition to masking, officials are continuing to encourage residents to get vaccinated and boosted when eligible. About 81% of the county’s total population is fully vaccinated with another 8% waiting to receive their second dose and 396,000 residents have received a booster.

Vaccination rates among groups at greater risk of contracting the virus including Black, Latino and Pacific Islander communities remain below the county’s goal of 80% vaccinated, however, Dr. Anand Chabra, director of Family Health Services, said the epidemiology team is reviewing the race or ethnic identities of the 69,000 residents who selected “other” or “unknown” when getting vaccinated.

Officials are also working to increase the number of children in underserved communities who’ve been vaccinated by collaborating with the Office of Education on pediatric clinics. Just more than 63% of children ages 5 to 11 have received at least one dose while nearly 88% of those ages 12 to 15 have.

And the medical community is also preparing for federal vaccine approval for children as young as 6-months-old to come within the weeks.

“Getting vaccinated and boosted remains the most important protection,” said Chabra, noting the vaccinated are 23 times less likely to be hospitalized after contracting the virus than the vaccinated. “It’s not too late to be vaccinated and it’s as important as ever to get vaccinated and boosted.”

Financing recovery

While health officials pivot to an advisory role, county officials are continuing to invest in areas of concern identified at the start of the pandemic, including supporting small businesses, the child care system and affordable housing initiatives.

Of the $10 million remaining of the first tranche of the roughly $144 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds directed to the county, nearly $4.7 million will go toward programs supporting children and families. Summer enrichment programs will receive $3.3 million while $870,000 will go toward family home child care facility grants and $505,000 will be granted to the Big Lift to extend summer programming by two weeks.

For the $2.8 million aimed at supporting vulnerable communities, $1.5 million will be for a modular housing pilot program, $500,000 for financial grants for residents in the unincorporated area of the county, $400,000 for a Safe Parking Program in Pacifica, $200,000 for a Mental Health First Aid pilot program and another $200,000 for homelessness services providers for mental health and wellness grants.

Most of the $1.5 million earmarked for infrastructure planning will go to North Fair Oaks with the coastside receiving $125,000 to begin designing Highway 1 improvements. Another $1 million will go toward economic recovery initiatives including $400,000 for a “whole person” workforce training pilot program, $400,000 for a pilot program helping small businesses in North Fair Oaks and other unincorporated areas comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and an additional $200,000 to help small businesses become certified under state and federal rules as women or minority-owned.

“Our residents and businesses have faced financial hardships, loss of loved ones and tremendous uncertainty and stress in their lives,” County Manager Mike Callagy said in a press release. “While we continue to endure more uncertainty, we must take a moment to acknowledge the way this county, and more importantly, this community, has come together to respond to the most critical needs of those most impacted.”

Visit the County Health website at smchealth.org/coronavirus for more information on COVID-19 vaccination and testing clinics.

sierra@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 106