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The Sequoia Healthcare District is set to provide up to $3 million in relief and support funding to nonprofit partners serving southern San Mateo County’s most vulnerable populations.

The financial support aims to ensure the nonprofits can continue their life-saving work during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the healthcare district, which funds the work of more than 70 nonprofits annually, providing community and school-based health services to over 60,000 residents. The district’s Board of Directors approved the emergency financial support on March 18, then gave the green light to an allocation plan on Wednesday.

Under the plan, flexible funding assistance will be provided to agencies that serve the most at-risk populations. Current grantees will be allowed to use previously-specified programmatic funds toward general operations, and their reporting deadlines can be extended. Also, no-interest loans will be provided to partner agencies with substantial hardship, the District said. The plan additionally includes continued financial support to pay salaries for school staff currently funded through the Healthy Schools Initiative, including school nurses, wellness coordinators, physical education coaches, and mental health specialists.

The District intends to deploy the funds “quickly and efficiently.”

“These funds ensure that vulnerable populations in southern San Mateo County continue to receive care and support from the organizations they know and count on,” said Pamela Kurtzman, CEO of Sequoia Health District. “The District is in a unique position with financial resources that can be deployed immediately and used flexibly to meet the dynamic needs of our agency partners as they face this unprecedented hardship.”

For more details on the emergency funding plan, click here.

Photo Credit: Sequoia Healthcare District/Twitter

The San Mateo County Health Foundation has launched a Meal Train campaign for the San Mateo County Medical Center to support medical frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign requires meals to feed 25 adults for breakfast at 6 a.m., 50 adults for lunch at noon, and 40 adults for dinner at 7 p.m.

Community members must purchase healthy food options from stores and restaurants including Whole Foods Deli, Mendocino Farms, and Pizza My Heart Pizza. Home cooked meals are prohibited to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Currently, the hospital prohibits visitors from entering the facilities. Individuals with deliveries must follow a “No contact” delivery by placing food in trunk and open for retrieval. Once at the hospital, they must contact John Jurow at jjurow@smcgov.org and 650 333-5634, or Phuong Hathaway phathaway@smcgov.org as a hospital representative will retrieve the delivery.

Photo credit: San Mateo County Health Center, 222 W 39th Ave., San Mateo County Health

While state and federal income tax deadlines have been extended to July 15 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, property taxes are still due no later than Friday, April 10.

That’s prompted some — such as the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA), which represents homeowners — to call on Gav. Gavin Newsom to extend the deadline. Meanwhile, representatives of cities, counties, school districts and special districts, which rely on the tax revenue, want to keep the April 10 deadline.

According to CalMatters, property tax deadlines are set by state law, and changing them must be done either by legislative act, which can’t happen due to lawmakers sheltering in place, or by executive order.

HJTA President Jon Coupal says Gov. Newsom “should issue an executive order granting homeowners some form of emergency relief.”

“As a weak alternative, treasurer/tax collectors should come up with a uniform process by which all 58 counties agree to abide,” Coupal wrote in an opinion piece. “Specifically, late fees and penalties should be waived until July 15 for all homeowners, or at a minimum for seniors over the age of 65 and those who can demonstrate that they lost their jobs before April 10.”

Meanwhile, local governments want the governor to retain the April 10 deadline and to allow officials to forgive penalties for property owners unable to pay by April 10 due to the pandemic. In this letter, the reps argued that local agencies rely on the timing of property tax payments.

“Unlike nearly every other tax, including the income tax and sales tax, property tax revenues are not distributed throughout the fiscal year,” the letter states. “Instead, nearly all funds—over $140 billion—are received in the days before the two payment deadlines of December 10 and April 10. Extending the deadline by 60 or 90 days would have a dramatic impact on local funding, as almost all local agencies rely on the property tax for the majority of their general funds.”

In a March 26 notice, San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector Sandie Arnott expressed a need for balance on the issue, indicating her office is prepared to waive penalties for those with legitimate financial hardship caused by the pandemic.

“I stress to everyone in San Mateo County: If you can pay your property taxes online, I urge you to do so,” Arnott said.

To pay property taxes online, click here. Due to the pandemic, tax collection offices in Redwood City, South San Francisco and Half Moon Bay will be closed until further notice for in person payments.  Taxpayers can also pay by mail, by automated phone system at 866-220-0308, or by using the drop box located at 555 County Center in Redwood City.

Taxpayers are requested to use a personal check, cashier’s check, or money check to for mail payments.

Photo of 555 County Center, home of San Mateo Tax Collector’s office, courtesy of the County of San Mateo

For San Mateo County small businesses needing to find a way to pay staff and the rent during the COVID-19 crisis, help is just a mouse click away.

The San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA), designated as San Mateo County’s business lead in the COVID-19 crisis response, released a COVID-19 Business Continuity Action Plan – 1.0 this week to help small businesses best take advantage of resources available to them, including the $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), part of the historic $2 trillion federal emergency aid package.

The PPP provides small businesses with funds to pay up to eight weeks of payroll costs including benefits. Funds can also be used to pay interest on mortgages, rent, and utilities, according to the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury.

While the funds will certainly be helpful to small or medium-sized business owners or operators, “it will take several weeks to several months for all of the money to get in the hands to those who need it most,” SAMCEDA cautions.

In the meantime, SAMCEDA’s website and action plan provides business owners with a checklist and wealth of relevant links designed to ensure they tap all possible resources available to them to sustain their businesses, including the PPP.

Beginning in early March, SAMCEDA created an extensive resources portal at its website,www.samceda.org. SAMCEDA is also assisting in the development of the San Mateo County Strong Fund, a local emergency aid fund launched by a $3 million County contribution that aims to provide relief to local small businesses, individuals, families and nonprofits.

For daily updates, SAMCEDA is releasing a daily e-newsletter. The organization is encouraging local business owners to complete its Business Economic Impact Survey, which has received over 950 responses to date.

“We recognize, appreciate and understand the uncertainty many of you are facing and want to assure you that the County of San Mateo, SAMCEDA, your Chambers of Commerce and your respective cities and towns are working day in and day out developing solutions,” said to Rosanne Foust, SAMCEDA President and CEO.

Photo credit: US Small Business Association

Bay Area health officials are now recommending that residents cover their nose and mouth with cloth, such as bandanas, fabric masks or neck gaiters, when leaving the home, per new guidance from the California Dept. of Public Health.

Face coverings do not have to be hospital grade, as those are in limited supply and must be preserved for health care workers and first responders. Acceptable face coverings need to cover the nose and mouth and can be made of a variety of cloth materials, factory-made or hand-sewn, or can be improvised using bandanas, scarves, t-shirts, sweatshirts or towels, according to a San Mateo County statement. They should also be washed, ideally after each use, frequently with detergent and hot water and dried on a hot cycle, and they should have a dedicated laundry bag or bin, officials said.

Up until recently, local officials have not recommended large-scale face covering but “circumstances have changed,” the county’s statement said.

“In addition to shelter-in-place and social distancing requirements, wearing a mask in public is an important tool to stop the community spread of this disease,” says Dr. Scott Morrow, San Mateo County health officer. “People with no or mild symptoms may have coronavirus and not know it. Wearing face coverings helps protect others from exposure.”

Health officials stressed that residents continue staying home, and when leaving for essential activities to practice frequent hand-washing and social distancing.

Photo credit: CDC

CalFresh is continuing to provide its resource during the current COVID-19 health crisis.

The state has decided not to discontinue its largest food program, which issues monthly Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to low-income individuals and families to purchase food at participating grocery store or farmers markets.

CalFresh said members are not required to submit their Semi-Annual Report or Recertification during the months of March, April and May. The amount of benefits a household receives depends on household size, countable incomes and monthly expenses, such as housing and utilities.

If you are experiencing a loss of income and would like to apply for CalFresh, visit GetCalFresh.org.

The Redwood City Police Activities League (PAL) is asking community members to “be the best pal” and donate to the PAL COVID-19 fundraiser.

Donated funds will help the organization create “Shelter-in-Place Family Care Packages” including children’s books, art materials, board games, and other learning and playtime supplies. Such supplies, according to PAL,  help kids feel equipped for school assignments from home and bring the family together through fun activities.

The organization says it’s collaborating with the Redwood City Police Department, Redwood City Education Foundation and Redwood City School District to ensure materials land in the hands of the children who need it most.

All of the packages will be assembled and delivered over the next weeks by PAL staff, and appropriate measures will be taken to ensure everyone’s safe, PAL stated.

For more information on how to donate and for other ways you can help, visit the PAL GoFundMe page.

The 120-room San Carlos hotel that temporarily housed passengers from the coronavirus-stricken Grand Princess cruise ship is now vacant, according to the city.

Moving forward, the Fairfield Inn & Suites on Skyway Road may be used as an alternate care site during the COVID-19 crisis, the city says.

“The last occupants from the Grand Princess cruise line at the Fairfield Inn & Suites in San Carlos departed last Thursday, and the hotel has been undergoing cleaning and disinfecting,” San Carlos Mayor Ron Collins said Tuesday afternoon. “The hotel operations may be used again in the near future as a quarantine facility under State or Federal operations.”

Also this week, County officials announced the establishment of a field hospital with up to 250 beds at the San Mateo County Event Center in San Mateo. The facility won’t immediately house patients, but is rather a proactive effort to expand capacity in case a medical surge overwhelms local hospitals.

Today is Census Day – a highly atypical one given that in-person promotional events and critical door-to-door visits by Census workers have been suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, San Mateo County officials and community organizations are pushing forward with non-contact strategies to ensure all residents, including “hard-to-count” populations, are tallied in the critical decennial census. It’s an important mission, as data from the 2020 Census will be used to determine how federal funds are distributed to local communities, and how Congressional districts are drawn, over the next 10 years.

One tactic to achieving an adequate count amid the COVID-19 crisis has been to encourage citizens to complete their census online, an option offered for the first time in history.

“It is critical that county residents participate in the census as much of the federal government’s investment in our state and county is dependent upon an accurate population count,” San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine said. “The census is easy to complete online so let’s all take a few minutes now and do just that.”

Today at 3 p.m., the county is hosting a telephone town hall to officially launch the 2020 Census (see dial-in info below). The town hall will feature Assemblymembers Kevin Mullin and Marc Berman, County Supervisor Carole Groom, and Emma Gonzalez, Community Affairs Manager for the County.

Despite the new online census option, counting citizens amid the pandemic remains challenging. Typically, when households fail to respond to mailed census forms mailed to them, Census workers will knock on their doors to ask the needed questions in person. Also, in-person events are held to promote the census and assist citizens in brief process of filling out form. Those options are now off the table for the health and safety of census workers and citizens, making it difficult to reach certain populations, including the very young, very old, certain immigrant populations and individuals who are not native English speakers.

“In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, state and local Census officials have had to adjust their outreach strategy, relying more heavily on virtual outreach online and by phone than originally planned,” said Assemblymember Marc Berman. “Fortunately California has never been more prepared to meet this unique moment. While our outreach strategy has changed, our message has not. The Census is still happening and participating is one of the easiest, most impactful, and long lasting ways to support your community.”

United Way, Bay Area, is one of 10 organizations across the state leading community-based efforts to reach those populations. It’s using a variety of tactics to get the word out, from digital advertising to providing grants to several local organizations offering citizens assistance. Social service organizations are calling down their client lists to check in on everyone and ask if assistance is needed to complete the census, said Stephanie Kim of the United Way, Bay Area.

Kim also called attention to the work of Self-Help for the Elderly, an organization that serves the elderly Chinese-American population in the region, including in San Mateo County. In their regular food deliveries to clients, they have now included handouts about health best practices and information to fill out the census and where to call for assistance.

“Many of the hard to count populations are already marginalized. If they’re not counted in this census, they will become all the more marginalized, said Stephanie Kim of the United Way, Bay Area.

While the census takes only a few minutes to complete, it “has implications for the next 10 years,” said Melissa Vergara, a Community Outreach Specialist from the San Mateo County Office of Community Affairs, the county office working on the census.

“We are still really committed to a complete count, while complying with all health and safety standards,” Vergara said.

Further Information

San Mateo County Tele-Town Hall

Wednesday, 4/1/202, 3pm

Call: (855) 962-1455

Or www.facebook.com/countyofsanmateo

Respond to the Census: https://my2020census.gov/

Census Response rate for san Mateo County, as of 3/31/2020, for up to date information: https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html

Photo credit: San Mateo County