San Mateo County declares end of state of emergency due to COVID-19

San Mateo County Event Center drive-thru testing site to close

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The San Mateo County Event Center’s drive-through COVID-19 testing site will close on March 15 due to reduced demand and a positive downward trend in cases.

The closure “will bring the San Mateo County Event Center’s support of the County’s COVID-19 mitigations to a close,” County Health Chief Louise Rogers said at today’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

“And we want to take this opportunity to thank the leaderhip and the staff of the Event Center for their truly incredible partnership throughout the pandemic response,” Rogers said. “We just could not have mobilized at the level we did without their partnership.”

The County’s seven-day peak of 239 cases per 100,000 in Jan. 8 has declined by 96 percent, according to Rogers. Hospitalizations are also trending downward. As of March 6, 89 percent of the County’s residents had received at least one vaccine dose, while 83 percent were fully vaccinated.

The County has aligned with the state’s guidance on indoor masking, no longer requiring masks for unvaccinated individuals in most indoor settings and businesses, but strongly recommending them in certain scenarios. After March 11, the universal masking requirement for K-12 and childcare settings will also terminate statewide and within the County.

Masking regardless of vaccination status will continue to be required on public transit, in emergency and homeless shelters, in cooling and heating centers, in healthcare, longterm care and senior care settings and in correctional settings.

Photo courtesy of San Mateo County Health