San Mateo County Rolls Out New 'Mask Mobile' to Deliver COVID-19 Supplies

San Mateo County on Thursday unveiled its new "Mask Mobile" (think Batmobile, but in the form of very colorful minivan) to pass out hand sanitizer, gloves and — you guessed it — masks to communities hardest hit by the coronavirus.

A project of the county’s Office of Community Affairs, the van will frequent certain neighborhoods in various cities throughout the county for the foreseeable future, distributing free hygiene supplies.

"This is an incredibly fun, exciting and educational way to promote the mandate that face masks must be worn in public," said county Supervisor David Canepa, who introduced the initiative. "It might look a bit like Scooby Doo's Mystery Machine but we're calling it the 'Mask Mobile.' "

He added, “It’s free, everything is free. This is one of the best investments that the county can make.”

Throughout the pandemic, the overwhelming number of reported COVID-19 cases in San Mateo County have been centered in Latino communities in the peninsula, with the virus particularly afflicting lower-income essential workers living in crowded conditions, according to county data. The Mask Mobile will primarily serve these communities, expanding on the county's ongoing efforts to deliver supplies to small businesses, service workers and community centers there, Canepa said.

“If we are going to beat this virus, we have to depend on people to be responsible,” he said. “But at the same time, the county is dedicated to providing resources to those people to make sure they have it.”

— Marco Siler-Gonzales (@mijo_marco)