Guidance & Resources

COVID-19 Vaccination  

County Health supports school and faith-based community COVID-19 vaccine clinics through the end of March 2023. 

Updated booster shots are available with or without advance appointments on MyTurn, though appointments are recommended.

For additional vaccine information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), visit Vaccines for COVID-19.  

How to Prevent Exposure to COVID-19 

Protecting yourself from exposure to COVID-19 includes a variety of strategies, such as vaccination or wearing a mask. Visit the SMC Health COVID-19 Prevention Strategies for more information on individual and community prevention. The CDC released a complete list of recommendations on How to Protect Yourself & Others.  

For information on safety and prevention in the workplace visits the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Coronavirus information page. 

What to Do If You Are Sick  

If you have a fever, cough, or other symptoms, you might have COVID-19. Be sure to monitor your symptoms, stay home except to get medical care, and get tested at your healthcare provider, pharmacy, or one of our County-sponsored locations. You can also use an at-home rapid-antigen test kit, available from a local pharmacy, which will give results in about 15 minutes. 

If you have tested positive for COVID-19, there are a few very important steps CDPH and CDC recommend you can take to keep both yourself and those around you safe. 

Visit the SMC Testing & Contact Tracing site for information on isolation and testing protocols. 

San Mateo County offers local Mental Health Resources including coping strategies and equitable resources for specific populations. The CDC offers additional support on Stress and Coping with COVID-19.  

Testing  

Safe, easy, no-cost PCR testing is widely available at County-sponsored locations, private testing companies, and pharmacies. PCR testing (which stands for polymerase chain reaction) is the standard nasal swab test processed by a laboratory, with results usually available within 72 hours. 

At-home rapid-antigen test kits, with results showing in about 15 minutes, are available for purchase at pharmacies and other retailers. 

Local Transmission Tracking 

Visit the SMC Health Data Dashboards for local COVID-19 transmission rates. The CDC offers a Community Transmission Level tool to monitor the rates of COVID-19 in various counties. For state data on COVID-19 and vaccination rates, visit the CDPH site Tracking COVID-19 in California. 

Human Services Agency

San Mateo County can help you obtain health coverage, shelter, food, and other resources through our services. For information on these Public Assistant programs visit the San Mateo County Human Services Agency.  

Additional Community Resources 

For an extensive list of services and resources available in San Mateo County visit the Community Information Handbook 2022. 

San Mateo County offers financial assistance for small businesses, immigrants, and those seeking help with housing costs. Please visit the COVID-19 Local Emergency Funds for more information on financial assistance.