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Outdoor Options for Local Businesses San Mateo County remains on the State’s COVID-19 monitoring list and a number of businesses are no longer allowed to operate indoors.
These businesses or activities must close unless they can modify their operations to occur outdoors and comply with regulations: - Hair salons and barbershops
- Gyms and fitness centers
- Personal care services, like nail salons and body waxing
- Places of worship and cultural ceremonies, like weddings and funerals
- Offices for non-critical infrastructure sectors
- Shopping malls
Businesses wishing to operate outdoors must follow the State’s industry guidance for counties on the monitoring list, and comply with City zoning restrictions. We recognize our business community is hurting and have adjusted local regulations to allow for some businesses to operate outdoors.New City of San Mateo Options for Personal Care & Fitness BusinessesReporting a Businesses If you wish to report a businesses that is not complying with COVID-19 regulations within the City of San Mateo, please use our online report form at www.cityofsanmateo.org/covidcomplaints or our hotline at (650) 522-7011.
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Follow Health Orders or Risk a FineTrust us – we’d really rather you follow safety precautions and not get a ticket! San Mateo County created a new enforcement tool for violations of the COVID-19 health orders, and while we’re going to continue focusing on education first, we’re also creating a process to issue tickets for repeat and serious offenses.
What can you do? Comply with COVID-19 safety precautions! And remember, someone may have a valid reason to not be wearing a face covering, such as a medical condition, so be patient and try to give folks the benefit of the doubt.
The health orders may change from time to time, so carefully review the latest State Health Orders at www.covid19.ca.gov and the San Mateo County Health Orders at www.smchealth.org/coronavirus before making a complaint.
We’re required to wear face coverings when outside of the home and in close proximity to others – such as while inside a business or outside waiting in line. Face coverings are not required when outdoors recreating, so long as social distancing protocols can be followed. Face coverings are not required while seated in outdoor dining areas.
Individuals can receive a $100 fine for the first violation, $200 for the second violation, and $500 for additional violations within the same year. Commercial entities risk a minimum fine of $250 and a maximum of $3,000 per violation depending on the gravity of the health risk, prior warnings, and any good faith efforts to comply.
Reports can be made online at www.cityofsanmateo.org/covidcomplaints, or by calling (650) 522-7011. We’ll carefully evaluate all reports for enforcement and use them to help inform our enforcement strategy. We are prioritizing complaints about businesses and large groups of people.
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San Mateo County has faced challenges before and we’ve persevered to recover and rebuild. The pandemic shut down society, and reopening it requires all of us rallying as one unified county to get back without setting us back. Residents are eager to get back to visiting friends, going to restaurants, and enjoying everyday life safely, but it will take time and unity.
We must all continue taking steps to protect ourselves, our families, our friends and our community. REMEMBER: wash your hands, wear a face covering, and practice social distancing. Your actions today will affect our future. Thank you for being a vital part of our comeback!
How to Get Tested for COVID-19Residents have access to free COVID-19 testing either through their health care provider, or San Mateo County’s free testing sites through Verily/Project Baseline.
Who Should Get Tested:
How to Get Tested:
If you have any form of health insurance, your first stop for testing should be your primary care physician or local medical clinic. This is the best way to get follow-up care right away, and you may also get your results faster. Find locations on the state’s testing site locator.
The County offers free COVID-19 testing to anyone without restriction and without regard to insurance through Project Baseline. There are testing sites throughout the county, but they are capped at 500 tests per day, so it’s advisable to schedule an appointment online at https://bit.ly/2xk73OL. If you don’t have access to the internet, there may be a volunteer on site who can assist you.
Project Baseline offers testing at the San Mateo County Event Center from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays Aug. 3, 10, 17 and 24.
Virtual Support for Families Who’ve Lost Loved Ones to COVID-19The American Red Cross has assembled a team of volunteers trained to provide virtual support to families and communities who have suffered a loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic through its Virtual Family Assistance Center (VFAC).
Visit redcross.org/VFAC to access this resource with special virtual programs, information, referrals and services to support families in need. The VFAC can also connect people to other community resources that may be available. People without internet access can call toll-free at 833-492-0094 for confidential and free assistance. |
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What Do you Think About San Mateo Parks?We value your opinion and would like to know how we can improve our parks and facilities! Please help by taking a few minutes to answer our Annual Parks & Recreation survey on Speak Up San Mateo. Our department is busy year-round maintaining 30 parks and six recreation/community centers in the City of San Mateo. Responses from surveys like these help us collect information from the community so we can improve the parks and facilities you care about most! What’s your favorite park to recreate in?
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New Activities for Fall! Come fall into the autumn season with us! As we continue to serve our community to protect the health and safety of participants, we are happy to offer more virtual classes this fall! Keep an eye out for our Virtual 2020 Fall Activity Guide, viewable on Wednesday, Aug. 5 at noon. Even though we can’t be here for you physically, we’re always here for you virtually! - Stay active and relaxed with a yoga class or dance your way to fitness
- Foster your child’s creativity through art programs
- Support your youth’s ongoing academics with mathematics, writing, and public speaking offerings
- Seniors can stay engaged with history, technology and health classes
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Library Brings Storytimes to San Mateo Parks Join us for a socially-distant storytime in our local parks! Our City librarians will be entertaining our families beginning 11 a.m. on August 5, 12 and 19 at various City parks! Pre-registration is required and available online or by calling 650-522-7838.
We’ll be sitting in the grass, so please bring your own floor covering. Masks are required for all adults and children over the age of 12. Attendees will need to pass our check-in screening which includes a non-contact temperature check to be admitted. Please bring a shaker and scarf so you can shake and twirl along!
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Take the Challenge - Let's Learn this SummerHelp your child stay engaged and educated by participating in the Library’s Summer Learning Challenge! Now through Aug. 31, readers of all ages can complete activities all summer to earn prizes!
Is your child or teen participating in the challenge? You can pick up your prize book during our Summer Learning Book Bonanza! Join us at: - Hillsdale Library parking lot on Friday, Aug. 8 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
No reservations are required. All you need to do to sign up is choose a free book! Books are available for children and teens in English, Spanish and Chinese. Children up to 7th grade who’ve finished their first log can even choose an additional book! When visiting our library parking lot: please note you must wear a face covering and practice social distancing. Parking will also be limited. |
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Our Waterways Need Your HelpWe’ve all been doing more cleaning than usual during COVID-19 Don’t forget that only rain water is allowed in a storm drain. That means wash-water, sewage, automotive fluids, construction materials, paint, sediment and/or silt, or food waste should never be washed or dumped down your street’s storm drain.
Our Public Works Environmental Compliance staff is dedicated to ceasing illegal stormwater discharge. Last year, we conducted 124 stormwater inspections, 106 from commercial and industrial facilities. Staff found 31 violations and helped those warned to find sustainable solutions instead. Our staff investigates all reports of illegal stormwater discharge.
Have you witnessed an illegal stormwater discharge? Contact Public Works at 650-522-7300 or publicworks@cityofsanmateo.org if you notice: A strange odor in or near the storm drain Garbage dumped in or near the storm drain More stormwater runoff than usual during dry periods If you witness anyone illegally dumping anything into the storm drain
Visit our Report Stormwater Pollution web page for more information.
Recycling Center Reopens!The Shoreway Public Recycling Center reopened this week and has resumed regular business hours Monday – Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The recycling center serves as a free residential drop off location for a variety of items including, electronic waste, cooking oil, fluorescent lights, batteries, used motor oil and filters, and excess cardboard. A full list of accepted materials can be found at: RethinkWaste.org/PRC.
All site employees and visitors are required to wear a face covering and observe all mandated social distancing measures. The Buy-Back portion of the center remains closed, but you can find more recycling ideas here: https://www.recyclestuff.org/.
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Do You Think Our Downtown Parking Garages Are Safe?We are looking ahead and planning for our future even as the evolving health orders continue to impact our lives. That’s why we’re asking for feedback now on the walkability and safety of our city-owned parking facilities downtown.
We’re making safety improvements at Central, Main Street, and Second Avenue and El Camino Real parking garages and we want your input. Complete a short survey by Aug. 14 at https://bit.ly/SMGarageSafe to help make our Downtown more walkable and pedestrian-oriented.
Underground Project at Event Center Begins Construction SoonConstruction is set to begin on the Clean Water Program’s Underground Flow Equalization System (UFES) Project.? Site preparation at and near the San Mateo County Event Center will begin in early August, and includes trailer and equipment staging and temporary construction fencing installation. Equipment to monitor groundwater levels, vibration, dust, and noise during construction will also be set up during this phase. Other site preparation activities are expected to last through September, with more significant construction anticipated to ramp up in mid-October.
The Clean Water Program’s UFES consists of an underground 5.3 million gallon underground structure that will help eliminate sanitary sewer overflows in San Mateo. Overflows can occur primarily during heavy rains, when excess water enters the sewer collection system and overwhelms its capacity. The Clean Water Program is a comprehensive plan to upgrade San Mateo’s wastewater collection system and wastewater treatment plant to provide reliable service for years to come. Visit https://CleanWaterProgramSanMateo.org/UFES/ for more information and to sign up for UFES project newsletters and alerts.
We’re Improving Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety in North CentralConstruction to implement better pedestrian safety and new bike lanes begins on N. San Mateo Drive in August. The N. San Mateo Drive improvement is from Baldwin Avenue to Peninsula Avenue, and is part of the countywide Bicycle Route through San Mateo. The implementation will convert the existing four-lane road to a two-lane road with center turn lane and bicycle lanes from Poplar Avenue to Peninsula Avenue. Also added to the revised street will be Green Infrastructure concepts with features to improve stormwater quality and decrease stormwater contribution to the City’s collection system. Thanks you neighbors for their patience and cooperation during this construction period.
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High Speed Rail – Share Your Input An environmental report on the potential impacts of the proposal to bring California High-Speed Rail along the Peninsula is now available and your input is wanted. The public comment period is open through Aug. 24 for the HSR Authority’s Draft Environmental Impact Report for the State’s bullet train section between San Jose and San Francisco.
The project section proposes to share the Caltrain tracks along the Peninsula to provide modernized, high-speed rail service from the Salesforce Transit Center in San Francisco to the San Jose Diridon Station. There are two proposed alternatives that would enable high speed rail trains to share the Caltrain tracks. Both options require right-of-way acquisition, and would impact areas of the City of San Mateo.
Public Comment:
The San Mateo City Council will also review and provide feedback on the draft environmental impact report on Aug. 17, 2020.
Questions? Email California High-Speed Rail Authority at info@hsr.ca.gov or call (916) 324-1541.
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If you or someone you know needs assistance, please call 2-1-1 or contact Samaritan House at (650) 347-3648.
You can also visit our Resources for Those in Need web page for more information about programs and services in the area.
Emergency Immigrant Relief Fund Do you or someone you know need financial assistance but were unable to receive state or federal help due to immigration status? Apply now for the new San Mateo County Immigrant Relief Fund, which can help residents who are economically impacted by COVID-19 and not eligible for state or federal assistance due to their immigration status.
The County is partnering with nonprofit organizations Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County and Mission Asset Fund to coordinate and administer the funding. Learn more and apply online on the Mission Asset Fund website or by contacting Legal Aid.
Childcare Provider Rental AssistanceThe City of San Mateo has partnered with Samaritan House to provide up to $120,000 in direct rental assistance for in-home childcare providers economically impacted by COVID-19. Funds are distributed on a rolling basis until the funds are depleted. Financial assistance applications are available in English and Spanish.
Start the application process online. Applicants can use the site to upload documents, check the status of their application, and communication with the Samaritan House’s Case Management Team. Childcare providers are encouraged to call Samaritan House with questions at (650) 347-3648.
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Senior Lunches for SeniorsDo you know a senior that could use a delicious hot lunch during the week? Senior lunches are now available for pick-up from the Senior Center on Mondays/Wednesdays/Fridays for $6, and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center on Tuesdays/Thursdays for a suggested donation of $4! Pick-ups are from 12-12:30pm in the car, and 12:30-12:45pm on foot/bike. To reserve a lunch or for questions, please call (650) 522-7490 or visit https://www.cityofsanmateo.org/baytreebistro.
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