San Mateo Co. bans private gatherings of 50 people or more

San Mateo County officials on Saturday tightened a previous order limiting the number of persons who may gather, and starting at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, public or private gatherings of more than 50 persons are prohibited.

The order will remain in effect until 11:59 p.m. on April 6. 

In addition, during that same time period, requirements for gatherings of 50 or fewer people include enough space for people to remain at least six feet from any other attendee; soap and water, or alcohol-based hand sanitizer, must be available; hosts of gatherings must clean surfaces with disinfecting wipes or other standard cleaners before, during, and after the event; and hosts alert prospective attendees at least 24 hours prior to the gathering that such gatherings pose a heightened risk of COVID-19 transmission.

On Thursday, San Mateo County officials had banned such gatherings of more than 250 people.

The order defines a "gathering" as any event bringing together 10 or more persons at the same time in a single room or other single confined or enclosed indoor or outdoor space (including restaurants, bars, theaters, event centers and boats).

Exceptions are made for normal operations at airports or spaces where persons are in transit, commercial office space or hotels, places of worship (for religious services or ceremonies, not other events), grocery stores, shopping malls and other retail establishments, along with hospitals and medical facilities. As of Saturday, San Mateo County had 32 confirmed cases of coronavirus, and the greater Bay Area had more than 150 cases.

For more information on the coronavirus in the county, call 211 or visit https://www.smchealth.org/coronavirus.