Redwood City -- San Mateo County has moved to the “low” or “green” COVID-19 community level – meaning case rates and hospitalizations are falling.
The move Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, however, does not mean the end of the pandemic.
Overall COVID-19 cases, fueled by the Omicron variant, remain high compared with previous periods and local health officials continue to recommend caution.
In the Bay Area, San Mateo, Marin, Sonoma, San Francisco and Alameda counties are also in the low or green community level.
The CDC lists “Community Levels” for jurisdictions across the United States as a way for individuals and officials to decide prevention strategies based on the latest information.
To move to the low COVID-19 community level, San Mateo County had to meet certain metrics set by the CDC, including fewer than 10 new COVID-19 hospital admissions weekly per 100,000 residents. The county’s most recent rate was 8.7.
COVID-19 case rates must also fall below 200 over the past seven days; the most recent case rate is 185.63 in San Mateo County.
County Health still recommends being up to date with vaccinations and boosters, getting tested if you have symptoms, and wearing high-quality masks (like N95 or KN95) in settings where ventilation is poor or if you are at high risk for severe disease or illness.
For COVID-19 prevention strategies, a vaccine clinic calendar, data dashboards and more, go to County Health’s COVID-19 resource page.
Preston Merchant
Communications Officer
San Mateo County Health
Press Contact: (650) 867-1661
Press Email: press@smchealth.org
Twitter @SMCHealth
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