San Mateo County Health is working closely with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its potential impacts on the Bay Area. 

Please note that these recommendations are intended for medical providers, congregate facilities, schools/child care facilities, and employers in San Mateo County. Providers in other counties should contact their local health department for guidance. 

General Resources

• Updated isolation and quarantine guidance from CDPH
   
• Social Services & Support and Servicios Sociales y de Apoyo
   
• CDC Scientific Brief: Community Use of Masks to Control the Spread of SARS-CoV-2
• CDPH COVID-19 Updates (Coronavirus Disease 2019) webpage
• CDC Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage

COVID-19 Digests

• 05/05/22: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #77
• 04/21/22: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #76
• 04/01/22: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #75
• 03/18/22: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #74
• 03/04/22: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #73
• 02/17/22: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #72
• 02/02/22: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #71
• 01/19/22: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #70
• 12/31/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #69
• 12/17/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #68
• 12/03/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #67
• 11/19/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #66
• 10/19/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #65
• 09/30/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #64
• 09/14/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #63
• 08/27/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #62
• 07/16/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #61
• 06/30/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #60
• 06/18/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #59
• 06/04/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #58
• 05/28/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #57
• 05/21/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #56
• 05/14/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #55
• 05/07/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #54
• 04/30/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #53
• 04/23/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #52
• 04/16/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #51
• 04/09/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #50
• 04/02/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #49
• 03/26/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #48
• 03/19/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #47
• 03/12/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #46
• 03/05/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #45
• 02/26/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #44
• 02/19/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #43
• 02/11/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #42
• 02/05/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #41
• 01/28/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #40
• 01/21/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #39
• 01/13/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #38
• 01/07/21: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #37
• 12/31/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #36
• 12/24/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #35
• 12/18/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #34
• 12/10/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #33
• 12/2/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #32
• 11/25/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #31
• 11/18/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #30
• 11/11/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #29
• 11/4/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #28
• 10/30/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #27
• 10/21/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #26
• 10/16/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #25
• 10/7/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #24
• 9/30/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #23
• 9/24/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #22
• 9/16/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #21
• 9/8/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #20
• 9/3/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #19
• 8/25/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #18
• 8/18/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #17
• 8/13/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #16
• 8/4/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #15
• 7/30/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #14
• 7/21/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #13
• 7/14/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #12
• 7/10/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #11
• 7/3/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #10
• 6/25/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #9
• 6/18/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #8
• 6/9/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #7
• 6/3/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #6
• 5/26/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #5
• 5/19/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #4
• 5/13/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #3
• 5/6/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #2
• 4/30/20: COVID-19 Digest, Issue #1

Reporting Requirements for Clinicians and Laboratories

Please refer to current CDPH guidance regarding COVID-19 reporting requirements for healthcare providers and laboratories. 

Healthcare providers should report via the CalREDIE Provider Portal or complete a COVID-19 Confidential Morbidity Report (CMR) found at www.smchealth.org/covid-19cmr and submit via fax to 650-573-2919 or secure email to SMCCDControl@smcgov.org. Attaching the laboratory report and relevant medical records to the CMR will help ensure the public health follow-up is able to move forward quickly.

For additional information about communicable disease reporting visit http://smchealth.org/communicablediseasereporting.

Hospitals

Information and Resources for Hospitals: 

• State Public Health Officer Order Health Care Worker Vaccine Requirement

  • Public Health Order Questions & Answers: Health Care Worker Vaccine Requirement
• State Public Health Officer Order Requirements for Visitors in Acute Health Care and Long-Term Care Settings
  • Public Health Order Questions & Answers: Requirements for Visitors in Acute Health Care and Long-Term Care Settings
• California Department of Public Health, Healthcare-Associated Infections Program COVID-19 PPE, Resident Placement/Movement, and Staffing Considerations by Resident Category
• AFL 21-08.7 Guidance on Quarantine and Isolation for Health Care Personnel (HCP) Exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and Return to Work for HCP with COVID-19
• AFL 20-87.1 Movement of Patients/Residents in the Healthcare Continuum During Seasonal Surges and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Healthcare Facilities and Clinicians

Facilities may establish their own protocols. These guidelines are intended to support healthcare facilities that do not have internal protocols established. Employees should follow facility-specific protocols when available. 

• State Public Health Officer Order Health Care Worker Vaccine Requirement ​

  • Public Health Order Questions & Answers: Health Care Worker Vaccine Requirement
• AFL 21-29.2 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Testing, Vaccination Verification and Personal Protective Equipment for Health Care Personnel (HCP) at Health Care Facilities
• AFL 21-08.7 Guidance on Quarantine and Isolation for Health Care Personnel (HCP) Exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and Return to Work for HCP with COVID-19
• Vaccine Record Guidelines & Standards
• Social Services & Support
• Servicios Sociales y de Apoyo
• CDPH Information about COVID-19 Treatments
• ASPR COVID-19 Therapeutics Locator

Skilled Nursing Facilities

What to Report

• Any probable or confirmed COVID-19 case in a staff member or resident, regardless of vaccination and whether or not symptoms are present, within one business day of the diagnosis or test date.
• 3 or more cases of acute illness compatible with COVID-19 in residents with onset within a 72-hour period.

Follow any additional reporting guidelines provided by the CDPH or your licensing agency.

How to Report

As of April 2022, report all COVID-19 exposures and cases through the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT). While in the past we have been accepting reporting through phone and email, due to the volume of cases, these are no longer viable reporting methods.

Effective Wednesday, July 20, 2022, the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT) is updating a few details to the procedure of reporting COVID-19 cases through their SPOT Portal and SPOT Intake Form. These changes are intended to increase the efficiency and reduce redundancy of which facilities report cases to San Mateo County Health. To learn of the changes, please review the attached 1-page flyer explaining the changes as well as watch this demo video walking through and explaining each of the new updates. 

The first time you report through SPOT: 

1. Review the SPOT Intake Form Overview, User Guide, and Demo for Liaisons (YouTube Video).
2. Complete the SPOT Intake Form.
   • The Point of Contact listed should be the person who will handle confidential information and report exposure details. A SPOT Liaison Account will be created for this person.
3. Verify that you have received a confirmation email.
4. Monitor your email inbox for a Welcome to SPOT email and follow the instructions displayed in the screen to finish setting up your SPOT Liaison Account.
5. Continue reporting through the SPOT Portal and communicate with San Mateo County Health via the Send Updates feature.

Reporting through the SPOT Portal using your Liaison Account:

• If you are submitting additional information for an ongoing exposure:
  1. Log into the SPOT Portal using your Liaison Account.
  2. Submit cases and contacts through the “Enter Information for an Existing Exposure” tab.
  3. Click on “Send Updates” to update or send new information about existing exposure events and/or records.

• If you are reporting the start of a new exposure event at your facility:
  1. Submit a SPOT Intake Form with all details regarding the new exposure.
  2. Verify that you have received a confirmation email.
  3. Continue reporting through the SPOT Portal and communicate with San Mateo County Health via the Send Updates feature.

Guidance

San Mateo County guidance for COVID-19 exposures and outbreaks in Skilled Nursing Facilities is entirely aligned with CDPH guidance. Please refer to CDPH licensing for specific guidance related to your facility.

• AFL 21-28.2 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Testing, Vaccination Verification and Personal Protective Equipment for Health Care Personnel (HCP) at Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)
• AFL 20-53.6 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Mitigation Plan Recommendations for Testing of Health Care Personnel (HCP) and Residents at Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNF)
• AFL 21-08.7 Guidance on Quarantine and Isolation for Health Care Personnel (HCP) Exposed to SARS-CoV-2 and Return to Work for HCP with COVID-19
• AFL 20-87.1 Movement of Patients/Residents in the Healthcare Continuum During Seasonal Surges and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic
• California Department of Public Health, Healthcare-Associated Infections Program COVID-19 PPE, Resident Placement/Movement, and Staffing Considerations by Resident Category
• State Public Health Officer Order Requirements for Visitors in Acute Health Care and Long-Term Care Settings
  • Public Health Order Questions & Answers: Requirements for Visitors in Acute Health Care and Long-Term Care Settings
• CDPH Licensing and Certification Program All Facilities Letters (AFLs)
• Tool for searching guidance documents

Testing

• California Testing Task Force Laboratory List
• San Mateo County COVID-19 Testing Locations

Resources

• CDPH Infection Prevention Webinars

Congregate Settings

Update 05/23/2022: Changes to the COVID-19 Response in San Mateo County and COVID-19 Reporting via the SPOT Portal

What to Report

• Any probable or confirmed COVID-19 case in a staff member or resident, regardless of vaccination and whether or not symptoms are present, within one business day of the diagnosis or test date.
• 3 or more cases of acute illness compatible with COVID-19 in residents with onset within a 72-hour period.

Follow any additional reporting guidelines provided by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) or your licensing agency.

How to Report

As of April 2022, report all COVID-19 exposures and cases through the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT). While in the past we have been accepting reporting through phone and email, due to the volume of cases, these are no longer viable reporting methods.

Effective Wednesday, July 20, 2022, the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT) is updating a few details to the procedure of reporting COVID-19 cases through their SPOT Portal and SPOT Intake Form. These changes are intended to increase the efficiency and reduce redundancy of which facilities report cases to San Mateo County Health. To learn of the changes, please review the attached 1-page flyer explaining the changes as well as watch this demo video walking through and explaining each of the new updates. 

The first time you report through SPOT: 

1. Review the SPOT Intake Form Overview, User Guide, and Demo for Liaisons (YouTube Video).
2. Complete the SPOT Intake Form.
   • The Point of Contact listed should be the person who will handle confidential information and report exposure details. A SPOT Liaison Account will be created for this person.
3. Verify that you have received a confirmation email.
4. Monitor your email inbox for a Welcome to SPOT email and follow the instructions displayed in the screen to finish setting up your SPOT Liaison Account.
5. Continue reporting through the SPOT Portal and communicate with San Mateo County Health via the Send Updates feature.

Reporting through the SPOT Portal using your Liaison Account:

• If you are submitting additional information for an ongoing exposure:
  1. Log into the SPOT Portal using your Liaison Account.
  2. Submit cases and contacts through the “Enter Information for an Existing Exposure” tab.
  3. Click on “Send Updates” to update or send new information about existing exposure events and/or records.

• If you are reporting the start of a new exposure event at your facility:
  1. Submit a SPOT Intake Form with all details regarding the new exposure.
  2. Verify that you have received a confirmation email.
  3. Continue reporting through the SPOT Portal and communicate with San Mateo County Health via the Send Updates feature.

Guidance

San Mateo County guidance for COVID-19 exposures and outbreaks in congregate settings is entirely aligned with CDPH guidance. Please refer to your licensing agency (CDPH or CDSS) for specific guidance related to your facility.

• PIN 21-53-ASC ADULT AND SENIOR CARE FACILITY WORKER CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) VACCINATION AND BOOSTER REQUIREMENTS
• PIN 21-12-ASC RESIDENT ISOLATION AND COHORTING, STAFFING, PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT, AND FACE COVERINGS
• PIN 22-09-ASC UPDATED GUIDANCE ON QUARANTINE AND ISOLATION FOR FACILITY STAFF EXPOSED TO COVID-19 AND RETURN TO WORK FOR FACILITY STAFF WHO TEST POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)
• PIN 22-04-ASC UPDATED STATEWIDE VISITATION WAIVER, AND TESTING AND VACCINATION VERIFICATION GUIDANCE FOR VISITORS RELATED TO CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19)
• PIN 21-49-ASC UPDATED GUIDANCE ON COMMUNAL DINING, GROUP ACTIVITIES, ENTERTAINMENT, NON-ESSENTIAL SERVICES, AND TRANSPORTATION DURING THE CORONAVIRUS DISEASE 2019 (COVID-19) PANDEMIC
• AFL 21-29.2 Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Testing, Vaccination Verification and Personal Protective Equipment for Health Care Personnel (HCP) at Health Care Facilities
• AFL-21.52 Guidance for Residents/Clients to Safely Participate in Day Programs
• California Department of Public Health, Healthcare-Associated Infections Program COVID-19 PPE, Resident Placement/Movement, and Staffing Considerations by Resident Category
• State Public Health Officer Order Requirements for Visitors in Acute Health Care and Long-Term Care Settings
  • Public Health Order Questions & Answers: Requirements for Visitors in Acute Health Care and Long-Term Care Settings
• California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Provider Information Notices (PINs) Adult and Senior Care (ASC) Program
• State Public Health Officer Order State and Local Correctional Facilities and Detention Centers Health Care Worker Vaccination Requirement
  • Public Health Order Questions & Answers: State and Local Correctional Facilities and Detention Centers Health Care Worker Vaccination Requirement
• Tool for searching guidance documents

Testing

• California Testing Task Force Laboratory List
• San Mateo County COVID-19 Testing Locations

Resources

• CDPH Infection Prevention Webinars

Schools and Child Care Facilities

Update 05/23/2022: Changes to the COVID-19 Response in San Mateo County and COVID-19 Reporting via the SPOT Portal

Reporting

• Communicate and report securely using the SPOT Portal
• SPOT User Guide for Schools and Child Care Settings
• SPOT Demo for School Liaisons
• Effective Wednesday, July 20, 2022, the School Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT) is updating a few details to the procedure of reporting COVID-19 cases through their SPOT Portal and SPOT Intake Form. These changes are intended to increase the efficiency and reduce redundancy of which facilities report cases to San Mateo County Health. To learn of the changes, please review the attached 1-page flyer explaining the changes as well as watch this demo video walking through and explaining each of the new updates.

Guidance

• State of California Safe Schools for All Hub
• COVID-19 Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2021-22 School Year
  • K-12 Schools Guidance 2021-2022 Questions & Answers
• Group-Tracing Approach to Students Exposed to COVID-19 in a K-12 setting
• K-12 school-based COVID-19 testing strategies for school year 2021-22
• Guidance for Child Care Providers and Programs
• California COVID-19 Testing Task Force – School Testing
• California Department of Social Services COVID-19 Child Care Resources

Employers and Businesses (Non-Healthcare)

Update 05/23/2022: Changes to the COVID-19 Response in San Mateo County and COVID-19 Reporting via the SPOT Portal

Reporting Requirements for Employers and Businesses

Reporting Threshold: Employers and businesses are required to notify the San Mateo County Health Communicable Disease (CD) Control Program when there are (3) or more cases of COVID-19 in the workplace within a 14-day period. For additional information about required reporting, please refer to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Responding to COVID-19 in the Workplace for Employers and California Assembly Bill No. 685. 

Clinicians, laboratories, healthcare facilities, congregate settings, schools, and child care facilities should refer to site-specific guidance documents available at www.smchealth.org/providers/covid19.

In general, other employers and businesses are not required to report individual staff members with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to the local health authority if the reporting threshold of 3 or more cases within a 14-day period is not met. In these situations, employers/businesses should refer to the resources linked below for general guidance and ensure that the staff member with COVID-19 is isolated and close contacts are identified and quarantined. See www.smchealth.org/IQ for additional information about isolation and quarantine. 

Please note that Cal/OSHA has additional requirements for employers to report and respond to COVID-19 cases in the workplace. Please refer to Cal/OSHA directly for additional information. 

How to Report

As of April 2022, report all COVID-19 exposures and cases through the Shared Portal for Outbreak Tracking (SPOT). While in the past we have been accepting reporting through email, due to the volume of cases, this is no longer a viable reporting method.

The first time you report through SPOT: 

• Review the SPOT Intake Form Overview, User Guide, and Demo for Liaisons (YouTube Video).
• Complete the SPOT Intake Form.
  • The Point of Contact listed should be the person who will handle confidential information and report exposure details. A SPOT Liaison Account will be created for this person.
• Verify that you have received a confirmation email.
• Monitor your email inbox for a Welcome to SPOT email and follow the instructions displayed in the screen to finish setting up your SPOT Liaison Account.
• Continue reporting through the SPOT Portal and communicate with San Mateo County Health via the Send Updates feature.

Reporting through the SPOT Portal using your Liaison Account:

• If you are submitting additional information for an ongoing exposure:
  1. Log into the SPOT Portal using your Liaison Account.
  2. Submit cases and contacts through the “Enter Information for an Existing Exposure” tab.
  3. Click on “Send Updates” to update or send new information about existing exposure events and/or records.
• If you are reporting the start of a new exposure event at your facility:
  1. Submit a SPOT Intake Form with all details regarding the new exposure.
  2. Verify that you have received a confirmation email.
  3. Continue reporting through the SPOT Portal and communicate with San Mateo County Health via the Send Updates feature.

San Mateo County Resources

• San Mateo County Strong Fund: Resources for Businesses and Employees
• COVID-19 Requirements and Resources
• COVID-19 Testing in San Mateo County
• Updates and Press Releases

California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Resources

• Responding to COVID-19 in the Workplace for Employers (PDF)
• California Current Safety Measures
• Find a Testing Location

Cal/OSHA Resources

• What Employers and Workers Need to Know About COVID-19 Isolation and Quarantine
• UPDATE – COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards What Employers Need to Know About the December 16 Standards
• COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards Frequently Asked Questions
• Revisions to the COVID-19 Prevention Emergency Temporary Standards (effective January 14, 2022) Frequently Asked Questions
• 3205 COVID-19 Prevention
• 3205.1 Multiple COVID-19 Infections and COVID-19 Outbreaks
• 3205.2 Major COVID-19 Outbreaks
• 3205.3 COVID-19 Prevention in Employer-Provided Housing
• 3205.4 COVID-19 Prevention in Employer-Provided Transportation

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Resources

• Cleaning and Disinfecting your Facility
• Printable Health Education Materials

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Guidance

• California Department of Public Health, Healthcare-Associated Infections Program COVID-19 PPE, Resident Placement/Movement, and Staffing Considerations by Resident Category
• UCSF Health Novel Respiratory Isolation: Donning and Doffing PPE with N95 and Eye Protection video
• CDC PPE Burn Rate Calculator
• CDC Strategies to Optimize the Supply of PPE and Equipment