San Mateo County joined California’s COVID-19 watch list on Wednesday as COVID-19 cases in the county passed the state’s threshold of 100 cases per 100,000. It is the last Bay Area county to be added to the watch list.
As of Wednesday, the county’s case rate, based on a 14-day rolling average, is 110.4 positive cases per 100,000 of population, according to a county press release.
“We’ve been anticipating being added to the monitoring list as our case rate hovers above the state’s target,” San Mateo County Manager Mike Callagy said in the release.
Local schools are limited to distance learning until the county has been off the watch list for at least 14 consecutive days.
If the county remains on the watch list for three consecutive days, stricter restrictions will apply at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, to gyms, fitness centers, places of worship, cultural ceremonies like weddings, personal care services like nail salons, shopping malls, hair salons and barbershops.
These industries will have to close or modify operations to provide service outdoors or by pick-up.
County officials urged businesses to prepare for additional restrictions because the case rate is not likely to decrease before Aug. 1.
Callagy also encouraged residents to take necessary precautions such as wearing face coverings, washing hands and avoiding gatherings in order to slow the spread of the virus.