San Mateo County Now Under
Regional Stay at Home Order

Lack of ICU Capacity & Surge in
COVID-19 Cases Prompts New Restrictions

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations surge and ICU capacity declines, San Mateo and 10 other Bay Area counties are under a mandatory Regional Stay Home Order that takes effect Thursday, Dec. 17, at 11:59 p.m. Read the County of San Mateo’s news release for more information.

The order prohibits private gatherings of any size, except for outdoor church services and political demonstrations. Restaurants must stop offering in-person dining and can offer only take-out and delivery.

Many businesses and activities must close, including salons and barbershops. Retail can remain open at 20 percent capacity. Nonessential travel and the use of hotels or short-term rentals for leisure is banned.

The state of California announced the order as regional ICU bed capacity fell below 15 percent, a trigger threshold. The order is meant to prevent crowding and mingling among non-household members and overwhelming the health care system.

The order is less sweeping than the lockdowns ordered in the spring. People can continue with essential activities like going to the doctor, buying groceries and picking up takeout food.

The rules will remain in effect for at least three weeks.

The Order: What’s Allowed, What’s Not

The Regional Stay Home Order instructs Californians to stay at home as much as possible and to stop mixing between households that can lead to COVID-19 spread. It allows access to critical services and allows outdoor activities to preserve Californians’ physical and mental health.

What's Allowed to Remain Open with Safety Precautions?

Critical infrastructure (when a remote option is not possible)
Schools
Non-urgent medical and dental care
Child care and pre-K

What Can Stay Open – with modifications – in addition to mandated 100 percent of people wearing masks with physical distancing?

Outdoor recreational facilities: Allow outdoor operation only for the purpose of facilitating physically distanced personal health and wellness through outdoor exercise, without any food, drink or alcohol sales. Overnight stays at campgrounds will not be permitted.
Retail, shopping centers & grocery stores: Allow indoor operation at 20 percent capacity, and 35 percent of capacity for standalone grocery stores, with entrance metering and no eating or drinking in the stores. Additionally, special hours should be instituted for seniors and others with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems.
Hotels and Lodging: Allow for COVID-19 mitigation and containment measures, treatment measures, provide accommodation for essential workers, or providing housing solutions, including measures to protect homeless populations.
Restaurants: Allow only for take-out or delivery.
Offices: Allow remote only except for critical infrastructure sectors where remote working is not possible.
Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor activities only.
Entertainment production: Industries, studios, and other related establishments such as establishments that provide content for professional broadcast can operate without live audiences.

What Must Close?

?Under the Regional Stay Home Order all operations in the following sectors must be closed (except to the extent that their operations fall within critical infrastructure):

Hair salons and barbershops
Personal care services
Museums, zoos, and aquariums
Movie theaters (except drive-in)
Wineries, bars, breweries, and distilleries (with exception for production, manufacturing, distribution, and retail sale for off-site consumption)
Family entertainment centers
Cardrooms and satellite wagering
Live audience sports
Amusement parks

Visit the State's COVID-19 web page for more information.

City of San Mateo Updates

City Hall

During the Regional Stay Home Order, San Mateo City Hall will be closed to the public. Many city services can still be accessed remotely by visiting our Online & Remote Services web page.

At this time, there will be no other changes to current City services.

Dining in San Mateo

In-person and outdoor dining at restaurants is no longer allowed during the Regional Stay Home Order. Please make sure to protect yourselves by not using the outdoor seating areas at our businesses or downtown.

The more an individual interacts with others, and the longer that interaction, the higher the risk of COVID-19 spread, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The risk of COVID-19 spread increases in a restaurant or bar setting as interactions within 6 feet of others increase, according to the CDC.

You can still support our businesses and enjoy a meal from one of our many delicious restaurants by ordering meals for pick up or take out!

Reporting a Violation

If you wish to report a businesses that is not complying with COVID regulations, please visit the County's COVID-19 business compliance task force web page. The City will consider reports of large gatherings during the Stay Home Order.

Show Your Support

Many of our local businesses need your help to survive the pandemic. As you shop for the holidays, consider buying local or purchasing gift cards – you’ll help save jobs and support our community.

Business & Employee Resources

Unemployment Resources

As a reminder the State of California Employment Development Department has a multitude of support services for people who have been unemployed, their work hours reduced, or their businesses affected due to COVID-19. You can file for services and learn more on the State's EDD website.

If you are unemployed, the State of California created a one-stop resource helping to match of job seekers with work opportunities. Please visit Onward California at https://onwardca.org/

Commercial Tenant Protections

To help small businesses through the pandemic, the City passed an emergency ordinance banning certain commercial evictions for non-payment of rent due to COVID between the months of April 2020-September 2020.

Repayment period
Starting the month when the City’s State of Emergency is lifted, tenants will have a 12-month period to pay rent arrears culminated between April – September 2020. On the seventh month of the 12-month repayment period, tenants must start paying a minimum of 50% percent of the unpaid balance. Landlords are not allowed to charge late fees or surcharges to the outstanding balance.

Visit our FAQ page for more information.

New Cap on Delivery Fees

The fees delivery services can charge local restaurants and businesses are now capped after the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 17 approved an emergency regulation.

The new rule caps commissions and fees charged by third-party food deliver services such as Uber Eats, Grubhub, and Doordash to all restaurants in San Mateo County until June 30, 2021 or the end of the local emergency due to COVID-19. The regulation caps delivery fees at 15% of the cost of an order and non-deliveries at 10% per order. There is also a provision that the Delivery Service Platform cannot make up the difference from reducing the gratuity made to the driver.

Read a press release for more information. You can also read the County’s full ordinance here.

Businesses with Interruption Insurance

Do you have business interruption insurance? Have you been discouraged from filing for benefits? Or have you received a denial letter?
The State’s Department of Insurance can help. Learn more online or call the Consumer Hotline at 800-927-4357.

More Information

State: Find information about what's open on the state's COVID-19 website.
County: Find local San Mateo County information on the County's website and the San Mateo County Health website.
City: Find City of San Mateo specific updates at www.cityofsanmateo.org/coronavirus

Together we can help San Mateo County move further into reopening.
Remember to wear face coverings when in public, wash your hands frequently, maintain at least six feet of distance when in public, and limit mixing with people outside of your household.

San Mateo County Now Under Regional Stay at Home Order

Lack of ICU Capacity & Surge inCOVID-19 Cases Prompts New Restrictions