The Board of Supervisors of the San Mateo County authorized the local Department of Health to establish a program to relieve permit fees paid by some local small businesses, which will help them recover from the economic impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The COVID-19 pandemic and the series of state and local health orders restricting economic activity had a devastating impact on many parts of San Mateo County's economy, with revenue losses hitting small businesses especially hard.
According to the county, approximately 5.0 percent of Environmental Health Services (EHS)-regulated retail food businesses have been permanently closed and many have struggled with reduced or even completely restricted operations for more than a year.