Peninsula 360 Press. Bay City News.
The complete health order can be found at https://www.smchealth.org/health-officer-updates/order-no-c19-11-health-officer-county-san-mateo-social-distancing-guidelines
Beginning Monday, San Mateo County will launch an oversight unit that will warn and sanction businesses that do not comply with the health order related to COVID-19.
During a meeting with the media Wednesday, County Manager Mike Callagy said people will be able to call 211 or go to the website to report businesses that are out of compliance.
Callagy said the oversight unit will be working closely with businesses to make sure they understand what is required of them. Under the county health order, businesses must implement social distancing protocols, require face masks and face shields, and provide alcohol-based hand sanitizer, soap and water.
Companies must also prepare and distribute a health and safety plan to personnel.
"It's not our intention to go out and sanction businesses," Callagy said Wednesday. "We want to go out and work in conjunction with the businesses to make sure they are in compliance and providing a safe and healthy environment for the people who visit them."
The oversight unit will first issue a warning to businesses that are out of compliance. If the business ignores the warning, Callagy said the unit would move to civil penalties and then criminal prosecution, if necessary.
Under the county's emergency declaration, approved by the Board of Supervisors on August 4, businesses can be fined between $250 and $3,000 per violation, depending on the severity of the violation, prior warnings, actions taken or intent to profit.
Callagy said he was not aware of any businesses that had been sanctioned. However, he said, he had heard of businesses flouting such regulations, such as allowing people to enter without masks. The county has a list of such businesses and plans to contact them when the unit becomes operational Monday.
"It's irresponsible to act that way," Callagy said. "A lot of businesses are acting appropriately and making sure that people are maintaining a healthy environment, and making sure that they are part of the process of us moving forward, not moving backward," he said.
San Mateo County is currently on the red "severe risk" light of the California Safer Economy Plan. Advancing to the orange traffic light - moderate risk - will relax restrictions and allow more businesses to prepare to reopen. To move to the orange level, Callagy said the county needs businesses to meet established standards.
During the week of October 3, San Mateo County met some of the criteria that fall within the orange level threshold, with a test positivity of 2.5 percent and a health equity metric of 4.8 percent, so test positivity is measured for places in the lowest quartile of the state's Healthy Places Index.
However, the county's case rate of 4.7 per 100,000 is up from 4.3 the previous week, and exceeds the 3.9 threshold for the orange level.
