By Michael G. Stogner
SMC Supervisor David Canepa
“We have plenty of hospital beds and are ready for a surge. I don’t want to take a step back, but we must all be prepared. This will require an extraordinary effort at every level of government to ensure these businesses do not fail,” said Supervisor David Canepa. You can see he has shifted to protect businesses instead of Residents.
Supervisor Canepa knows his statement is Misleading and False ICU Beds are the issue not Surge Beds.
San Mateo County has 67 ICU Beds & Staff and was supposed to have 13 ICU Beds and Staff available to meet the 20% Availability Rate 67 ICU Beds & Staff x 20% = 13.4. You will see on the chart below July 23-24 the gray bar is blank the available beds & staff were 5 and 3. Does that sound like “We have plenty of hospital beds.”
San Mateo County News 
Protecting businesses IS protecting residents.
Protecting businesses IS protecting families.
We do not have a shortage of beds.
Compare the statistic to last year.
What is the change?
Hospitals have been full of people who had to DELAY “nonessential” surgeries. Our hospitals are NOT full of COVID patients. They do NOT represent the majority of ICU patients.
And, let’s be honest about those COVID statistics. Just over 40% of COVID deaths in San Mateo County are from long term care patients—people who are in nursing homes, hospice care at the END of their life who contract this in the care homes. These are the most vulnerable—this is who we must shield. For everyone else, we need to move along living our lives without fear!