11 February 2021
Redwood City – The province of San Mateo begins on February 22 and extends COVID-19 vaccinations to teachers and childcare providers, first responders and food and agricultural workers eligible under Phase 1B as the offer allows.
“People are understandable about the vaccine, and we need to move as quickly as possible to make it happen as soon as possible,” said Carole Groom, San Mateo County supervisor. “We must do everything we can under the constraints we have to limit the scale of the pandemic as COVID-19 continues to devastate our community.”
Following the state system, the province, in partnership with private providers, has focused on vaccinating health care workers, residents of long-term care facilities and the elderly since the vaccination against Pfizer and Moderna became available in December. As of this week, a third of seniors age 65 and older in San Mateo County received the first dose of vaccine.
This effort will be expanded on 22 February to be eligible for essential workers such as educators, childminders, law enforcement and food and agricultural workers, which include certain grocery stores, such as limited vaccine provision.
“Getting vaccinations into the arms of San Mateo County residents is our highest and most urgent priority,” said provincial supervisor Dave Pine, who serves with Groom on a COVID-19 council subcommittee. ‘While we do everything we can to ensure that everyone who qualifies for the vaccine becomes one, we face serious supply constraints that hamper our efforts. We ask for patience and understanding in these very difficult times. ”
Waiting until February 22 to extend the admission, the province and partners can continue to focus on vaccinating health workers and residents aged 65 and older who are at greatest risk of dying from the coronavirus. More than 8 out of 10 of the 447 deaths in San Mateo – 84 percent – are individuals who were 65 or older.
The province works through San Mateo County Health and the San Mateo Medical Center in the province with private health care providers, community-based organizations and other partners to vaccinate residents.
As the provision of vaccines allows, the province is offering access to the vaccine on 22 February for newly admitted residents who cannot access the vaccine through their regular healthcare provider.
The county works with organizations representing educators, child care workers, law enforcement and restaurant and agricultural workers to support vaccination plans based on a equity framework. The province will encourage local healthcare providers to vaccinate, if possible, priority populations in low-income neighborhoods before starting appointments for the wider qualifying population.
A total of 84,783 individuals (0 percent of the provincial population of about 780,000) received a first dose of vaccine as of Sunday. Nearly 20,000 have completed the two-dose vaccine range.
“We need to vaccinate as many people as we can quickly, and that includes essential workers,” said David J. Canepa, president of the council. “We need to focus on ending COVID 24/7 so we can stimulate the economy and get back to normal.”
Sign up for vaccine alerts
While the COVID-19 vaccine supply is limited, residents can sign up for the County Notification Tool to receive alerts when the state is eligible and information on how to get an appointment.
For eligible residents, completing the form also adds it to an outreach list of available vaccination appointments at vaccination sites sponsored by the province (however, this form does not replace a sign-up or appointment mechanism offered by other San Mateo County providers). )
Test widely available in San Mateo County
Tests for COVID-19 are available throughout San Mateo County, including a newly opened, dedicated site at the College of San Mateo.
The province of San Mateo offers free tests for everyone who lives or works in the country – regardless of the symptoms.
Ongoing testing for adults and children is available at locations in North Fair Oaks, San Bruno, Daly City and East Palo Alto, in addition to the College of San Mateo.
Visit the province’s test site for more information and to make an appointment. Note days and times as well as ages of eligible children vary by location. The site also includes a link to a searchable map of test venues in the state of California.
And remember:
Follow these recommendations to protect yourself:
- Wear a mask over your nose and mouth
- Stay at least 6 feet away from others
- Avoid crowds
- Avoid poorly ventilated areas
- Wash your hands regularly
Learn more about these and other steps you can take to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.