San Mateo County Nursing Homes Allowed To Receive Visitors

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA — San Mateo County nursing homes can now allow visitors for its residents after a year of mandatory lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic.

County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow rescinded a health order on Friday barring visitors from long-term care facilities and directed such facilities to follow a state order issued earlier this week outlining guidance for visitation.

Under the state’s order, if a county is in the purple tier in the state’s COVID-19 blueprint, fully vaccinated residents can receive indoor, in-room visitors. Once a county moves to the red tier, unvaccinated or partially vaccinated residents can receive visitors. All visitors must produce a negative COVID-19 test within the previous two days.

San Mateo County is currently in the red tier, but is expected to enter the orange tier next week as case rates and hospitalizations continue to decline.

Read the state’s guidance regarding long-term care facility visitations here.