A federal cache of critical supplies, including cots and medical equipment, were delivered to the San Mateo County Event Center on Sunday as the county preps for a projected surge in COVID-19 cases.
The National Guard is expected to be on site through Tuesday helping to set up the field treatment site featuring a capacity of up to 250 low acuity beds, according to county officials. While no patients will be immediately housed in the space, the effort proactively aims to expand capacity in case a medical surge overwhelms local hospitals.
The Event Center, owned and operated by the County, continues to be used to house a small number of patients in RVs who could not safely isolate at home, according to the City of San Mateo. The property also has a restricted drive-through testing site operated by Verily.
“We can’t just wait to see if this will happen,” County Manager Mike Callagy said. “We need to prepare now so that we can be ready to care for our friends, neighbors and loved ones when they need it most.”
San Mateo City Manager Drew Corbett called the effort a “major humanitarian effort to bring vital resources to our region.”
“Our city’s multi-agency emergency operations center will collaborate with our County partners to help ensure this critical health and safety operation runs smoothly in our community,” Corbett said.
Event Center CEO Dana Stoehr called it a “privilege” to provide support at this critical time.
