Special Notice / Hearing: None__
Vote Required: Majority
To: Honorable Board of Supervisors
From: Louise Rogers, Chief, San Mateo County Health
Scott Morrow, MD, San Mateo County Health Officer
Subject: Extension of Declaration of Local Health Emergency
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt a resolution further extending the declaration of local health emergency until the County takes action to terminate the local health emergency.
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BACKGROUND:
Section 101080 of the California Health and Safety Code authorizes a local health officer to declare a local health emergency within the health officer’s jurisdiction, or any part of that jurisdiction, when the health officer determines that there is an imminent and proximate threat of the introduction of, among other things, any contagious, infectious, or communicable disease.
Under the Health and Safety Code, a local health officer’s declaration of a local health emergency shall remain in effect for no more than seven days, unless the declaration has been ratified by the governing authority of the local jurisdiction in which the local health emergency has been declared.
On March 10, 2020, this Board ratified and extended the Health Officer’s declaration of local health emergency. In its March 10, 2020 resolution, the Board indicated that the County would review, at least every thirty days, the need for continuing the local health emergency.
DISCUSSION:
Governor Newsom proclaimed a State of Emergency related to COVID-19 throughout the State of California on March 4, 2020. In that proclamation, and among other things, the Governor waived the thirty-day time period in the Section 101080 within which a local government agency must renew a local health emergency related to COVID-19 and this waiver remains in place until the local government agency terminates its respective local health emergency.
As noted, the Board of Supervisors indicated an intent to review the need for continuing the local health emergency at least every thirty days. However, in light of the expected extended nature of the local health emergency and the Governor’s waiver of the requirement in the Health and Safety Code that the Board of Supervisors periodically review the need for it, we recommend that the Board of Supervisors extend the declaration of local health emergency and that the local health emergency remain in place until the County takes appropriate action to terminate it.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost resulting from the approval of the action recommended here. This action, however, may assist with the receipt of mutual aid resources from the State of California and from neighboring jurisdictions and may assist the County in establishing eligibility for cost recovery funds related to the COVID-19 pandemic.