April 10, 2020
Colma Community,
San Mateo County’s shelter in place order, along with several other counties in the Bay Area, remains in place through May 3, 2020. I know these are trying times, but please have faith that this is flattening the curve and please continue to do your part and practice social distancing. As of today, April 10, San Mateo County Health has updated the number of positive COVID-19 cases to 638 and 21 deaths. County Health provides detailed information on cases by age group and date and deaths by age group. Learn more at https://www.smchealth.org/coronavirus.
Celebrate your Weekend at Home; Friendly Reminder that City Parks Remain Closed for Gatherings
As we look forward to this coming holiday weekend, we know typical gatherings will not be happening this year. If you do celebrate, we hope you are still able to do so, even if it is in a new and unexpected way.
Please remember that Sterling Park and the Colma Community Center remain closed for socializing. If you are outside, don’t forget to practice social distancing, wear a mask, and abide by the guidance of our public health officials. County Health advises that you stay within 5 miles of your residence and refrain from driving to a park if you do not need to, please enjoy the fresh air and scenery but please, don’t stop or gather. Going outdoors is for your physical and mental health, not for socializing. We also ask that you respect our parks by not littering or removing barriers and caution tape/cutting off locks to enclosed areas.
Residential, Small Business and Nonprofit Available ResourcesThe COVID-19 public health crisis is expected to continue causing serious negative impacts on Colma businesses and residents. Financial impacts include loss of household or business income, or extraordinary out-of-pocket medical expenses.
The City Council of the Town of Colma has approved a donation of $15,000 to the San Mateo County Strong Fund, the county’s relief effort to support residents and businesses in San Mateo County that have been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. The unanimous decision was made at the Regular City Council Meeting on April 8, 2020.
For more information on how to apply for resources from the SMC Strong fund, please visit https://www.smcstrong.org/
Information for Residential Tenants
On March 24, 2020, the Board of Supervisors of the County of San Mateo adopted an emergency resolution suspending evictions due to non-payment of rent, where the cause is loss of income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the resolution will help keep renters in their homes, those tenants will be required to pay back any rent owed after the suspension ends. This suspension is in effect countywide until May 31, 2020, unless extended by the Board of Supervisors.
As always, the Town of Colma is here for you. We have set up a dedicated website, https://www.colma.ca.gov/covid-19/ which is updated often with new information and resources. I also encourage you to call as at (650) 997-8300 for assistance.
As a reminder, health officials continue to stress that staying home, frequent hand washing and physical distancing are the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Stay healthy!
John Irish Goodwin