San Mateo County continues to see improvement in COVID-19 numbers, as the case rate and positive test rate decreased in the week of September 26.
The case rate dropped from 6 to 4.3 per 100,000, while the positive rate decreased from 3.7 percent to 2.6 percent. The county, however, remains at a red light - high risk - in accordance with the state's Safer Economy Plan.
"The use of face masks, healthy distance and resumption of outdoor activities have been positive factors," County Manager Mike Callagy said during a press conference on COVID-19 with media Wednesday.
Callagy said the county is close to moving to a less restrictive, moderate-risk orange light, but it is not yet time to make that transition. Recall that the county moved to a red light on Sept. 22 and will remain red for at least three more weeks to meet the criteria required to move to an orange light.
With a low 2.6 percent positive testing rate, the county already meets the Orange Light's required range for test results; however, the county has not yet met the Orange Light's compliance incidence rate.
To reach the orange light, a case rate of less than 4 per 100,000 is required. The county must also remain census-compliant in the lowest quartile of the state's Healthy Places Index (HPI).
The goal of this new measurement is to encourage counties to decrease COVID-19 transmission rates in high-risk communities that are being affected by the virus.
Currently, San Mateo County's HPI positivity rate is 5.3 percent; 5.2 percent is required to advance to the orange light.
Callagy also said the state is working with counties to improve data by race and ethnicity, which is unknown in one-third of state data and 21 percent of county cases.
In San Mateo County, COVID-19 cases continue to be concentrated in the Latino community, with 51 percent of cases, even though they make up only 24 percent of the county's total population.
"We are working with local organizations to amplify the message of wearing masks, keeping a safe distance, hand washing and testing, especially for essential activity workers," Callagy said.
Thus, San Mateo County has expanded the population's options for accessing COVID-19 testing: at the San Mateo County Event Center, mobile testing sites, and targeted neighborhood testing.
People can visit the county website www.smcgov.org/testing for the full testing schedule. The county increased its testing by 8 percent last week, with about 281 tests per 100,000, compared to 260 the week before.
Callagy said the county completed a daily average of 481 tests at the event center and 311 tests at the mobile sites in the past week. The county will continue to increase the number of tests, as the event center has a testing capacity limit of up to 1,000 tests per day.
Finally, Callagy and San Mateo County Deputy Chief Health Officer Srija Srinivasan encouraged everyone to get vaccinated against influenza as the flu season approaches.
"The symptoms of the flu and COVID-19 share similarities," Srinivasan said. "The more we can protect ourselves from the flu, the more we can protect others."
Although the CDC reported that flu cases may decrease due to the health measures that have been taken against COVID-19, Srinivasan said everyone should "stay on top of it" and continue the basic behaviors of frequent hand washing, healthy distance and wearing a mask.
[With NCB information]
