Millbrae Coronavirus Update From Mayor Reuben Holober - July 23, 2020

Press release from the City of Millbrae:

July 23, 2020

Dear Millbrae Residents,

While the State of California’s orders to re-open businesses changes from week to week in response to reported cases of COVID-19, San Mateo County has been relatively stable due in large part to your shelter-in-place and social distancing efforts.

Unfortunately, this week, San Mateo County Health Chief Louise Rogers notified the County’s Board of Supervisors that two factors may place the county on California’s COVID-19 watch list.

San Mateo County’s COVID-19 case rate is 105.7 per 100,000 people for a 14-day rolling average. Though the County’s case rate is lower than that of the Bay Area (109.2), it sits just above the State’s guideline that the rate should be below 100.

San Mateo County is the only Bay Area county not on the watch list, but Chief Rogers says she expects the county to be added soon. If San Mateo County remains on the watch list for three consecutive days, the State would require the closing of:

• Gyms and fitness centers
• Places of worship and cultural ceremonies, like weddings and funerals
• Offices for non-critical infrastructure sectors
• Personal care services, like nail salons and body waxing
• Hair salons and barbershops
• Shopping malls

Chief Rogers is urging San Mateo County residents to double down on preventative measures such as wearing face coverings, washing hands frequently, and avoiding gatherings with people outside of their immediate family.

San Mateo County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow, who works in tandem with Chief Rogers, recently described the coronavirus as surprisingly transmissible and cautions against complacency.

We must take heed to their words of caution and continue to do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19.

As of July 20, 2020, San Mateo County Health has reported 4,674 positive cases of COVID-19.

As the State’s shelter-in-place and business closure orders continue, San Mateo County continues to provide relief to those most impacted.

This week, the County Board of Supervisors approved $2 million to support local child care providers who have taken a financial hit due to COVID-19.

The new Child Care Relief Fund serves twin goals: help providers remain open – particularly those in areas of the county serving families with low incomes – and to ensure working families have access to child care.

Under the formula approved today, licensed child care centers would be eligible for grants of up to $25,000 and family child care homes would be eligible for grants of up to $10,000.

The Board of Supervisors also extended an emergency moratorium on evictions for nonpayment of rent by residential tenants impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic until Aug. 31, 2020.

The move places a temporary countywide moratorium on evictions from residential units for:

(1) non-payment of rent by tenants directly impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID19) pandemic;

(2) certain no-fault causes unless the eviction is necessary for the health and safety of the tenant, other residents in the tenant's building, the landlord, or the landlord's family.

San Mateo County’s Emergency Operations Center remains open to coordinate countywide responses and communications in response to COVID-19. Residents with non-medical, non-emergency questions about the COVID-19 can call 2-1-1 or (800) 273-6222 at any time, day or night.

For more information on COVID-19 and San Mateo County’s response, please visit https://www.smchealth.org/coronavirus.

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had an immeasurable impact on our daily lives. While it feels daunting at times, we must not let up and remember to follow the three W’s:

1) Wear a face mask in public

2) Wash our hands often

3) Watch our distance and stay at least 6 feet away from other people when in public

I, and everyone on the Millbrae City Council, thank you for following social distancing and other preventative measures to help slow the spread this disease. Your efforts are incredibly important.

Together, we will save lives and beat this.

Sincerely,

Reuben D. Holober

Mayor, City of Millbrae

Click here to view a copy of Mayor Holober's signed letter.

This press release was produced by the City of Millbrae. The views expressed here are the author’s own.