March 24, 2020
Colma Community,
I want to first thank everyone for being so patient and respectful of others during this difficult time. I want to assure you, if we continue to work together and follow the directives from the County and the State, we will get through this. A lot has happened over the past 24-48 hours, so I wanted to share with you what we as a community are doing to keep everyone safe.
This morning the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors approved an initial $3 million in Measure K funds to launch the San Mateo County Strong Fund. The purpose of this fund will be to address the swift and unexpected impacts of COVID-19 pandemic at a very local level by helping the most-impacted groups, including individuals/families, small local businesses and non-profits. The fund will be administered by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation under direction from the County of San Mateo on how to allocate funds to non-profits, how individuals can apply for support, and in close collaboration with the San Mateo County Economic Development Association (SAMCEDA), how small businesses and self-employed residents who qualify can access grants. For more information on this program and to donate, please follow https://twitter.com/SMC_Strong on Twitter or go to https://www.smcstrong.org.
In an effort to protect the community The Board of Supervisors also passed a resolution placing a moratorium on evictions for residential renters throughout San Mateo County. Information on this action will soon be on the County website at https://www.smcgov.org.
Yesterday’s message from the San Mateo Health Officer, Scott Morrow was very clear, pleading with residents of San Mateo County to follow the shelter in place order. We cannot stress enough how important this is for slowing of the spread of Covid-19. Please see a copy of the Scott Morrow’s message here – https://www.smchealth.org/post/health-officer-statements. The order emphasized residents spending time in their neighborhoods and not driving to the beaches or parks outside of our cities for outdoor recreation. Recreation and Social interaction are essential to a healthy lifestyle, please watch for virtual recreation programs and ideas coming from the Recreation Department over the next several days. Follow Colma Recreation at https://www.facebook.com/colmarecreation/.
In regard to testing, I know the process has been slow and the process and locations for testing vary from place to place. However, if you are feeling symptomatic please reach out to your medical provider, or go to https://www.projectbaseline.com, or visit Testing for COVID-19 for more information.
The County is also seeking donations for personal protective equipment (PPE). They are requesting donations for gloves, N-95 masks, medical gowns and coveralls, unopened hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. If you are able to donate, please contact the County at smcmeddonations@smcgov.org.
We just learned today that Target will be reserving the first hour of shopping every Wednesday for their most vulnerable guests, including those over 65 years of age, pregnant women or those defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) as vulnerable or at risk. Target is asking all guests who do not identify with those populations to refrain from shopping during that hour as a courtesy to others.
The Town has been reaching out to seniors and populations in need to see if we can assist with shopping for groceries, prescription medicine, personal items, etc. If you are in need of assistance like this please reach out to us at 650-997-8300, we can connect you with a Town of Colma CERT volunteer to assist you in your needs.
We also have volunteers who would be willing to call and chat with folks who might be feeling isolated and lonely during this time. Please pass along the name and phone number of any residents who wants a volunteer to call them and chat.
For immediate 24-hour support, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has a national Disaster Distress Helpline for crisis counseling: 1-800-985-5990, 24/7 for toll-free, multilingual crisis support services.
The County also has a very comprehensive FAQ regarding COVID-19 and the shelter in place:https://www.smcgov.org/shelter-place-faqs?fbclid=IwAR1pBmYlcsrR2bqXeczl2ShNar4hg3sUpSOHY1J9q0YX4CznrSDK8mG2PQk
Please remember, we are all in this together and if we stay together and work together, we’ll get through this difficult time. Please do not hesitate to contact Town Hall at 650-997-8300, we are here to serve you.
Sincerely,
John “Irish” Goodwin, Mayor
Town of Colma