San Mateo County gears up to celebrate state's reopening

SAN MATEO, Calif. - San Mateo County is gearing up to literally celebrate California’s re-opening. 

One elected official says they’re hosting the only known county-sanctioned event in the Bay Area.

County Supervisor David Canepa showed KTVU  the lay of the land at a plaza off El Camino Real near the Colma Bart station, where he and 400 others have already RSVP’d to celebrate.

The event on Tuesday will have a 1920’s theme, with classic cars and costumes paying homage to the roaring twenties comeback following the flu pandemic that ended in 1919.

"It’s a symbolic event to recognize while we just think that we were in this pandemic, there were others who have come before us," said David Canepa, President of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.

Canepa says during the free event with barbeque and entertainment, they’ll honor heroes like firefighters, medical workers, covid survivors, small businesses, and others.

The owner of Antigua Coffee Shop in South San Francisco is among the honorees.

He immigrated from Mexico two decades ago, started the business in 2014, feared he’d lose it during the pandemic but held on.

"I feel so excited and I think this honor is for all the small businesses who survived during this pandemic," said Victor Daicero, owner of Antigua Coffee Shop.

"So what Victor represents is all the small businesses and all the struggles they’ve gotten through," said Canepa.

Honoree Doctor Monica Gandhi is someone Canepa refers to as the star of the show.

The Bay Area infectious disease specialist has tirelessly appeared on local and national outlets educating and advising on how to safely maneuver through the pandemic, and she praised the county’s approach.

"I am really honored to be honored by San Mateo County," said UCSF Dr. Monica Gandhi.  "I think we had a similar philosophy, you can still save lives, be science-based but also put the entire pandemic in a setting of what holistically is going on in society."

Canepa says there will be something serious included in the festivities, an onsite vaccination clinic.

And doctor Gandhi says her celebratory speech will address that topic.

"To embrace the effectiveness of the vaccines, which I think that San Mateo has done," said Dr. Gandhi.  "What I mean by that is even the Delta variant.  We talk about these fearful variants. Vaccines work," 

Everyone is welcome to the free event scheduled for June 15 from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.