San Mateo County Launches Coronavirus Call Center

REDWOOD CITY, CA — The County of San Mateo on Wednesday announced the launch public call center for residents with non-medical questions about the coronavirus. The call center will launch by Thursday, March 5. The center will take calls from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. It will feature a three-way language line to help non-English speakers seeking information about the novel coronavirus.

The opening of the call center follows the proclamation of a local emergency in San Mateo County by County Manager Mike Callagy and the declaration of a local health emergency by San Mateo County Health Officer Dr. Scott Morrow.

Following the state’s own emergency declaration, the County’s two emergency announcements makes the County eligible for reimbursement dating back to when the documents were signed. The County chose to take both actions because the COVID-19 response has the potential for countywide disruptions beyond the impact to public health.

The Board of Supervisors is expected to ratify both documents at its March 10 regular meeting. Several other Bay Area counties have made similar proclamations.

County Health has reported that an adult resident of San Mateo County tested presumptively positive for COVID-19 and the case is pending confirmatory testing by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This brings the county’s total cases to two; an earlier case is an individual repatriated to the United States by the CDC and currently in isolation. County Health is also actively monitoring other individuals based on CDC guidelines.

“We are receiving a tremendous number of calls to our emergency dispatchers and County Health from people seeking guidance on how they can prepare for and prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” Callagy said in a statement.

“Opening the call center will both relieve those departments and connect the public with resources and information related to COVID-19 and its impact on our area.”

On Monday, March 2, the County of San Mateo activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to support the local County Health response with coordinated resources and communication. The EOC will operate through Friday, March 6, at which time its need will be reassessed.

“The effort to protect our community’s health is a coordinated, countywide effort, and the Board’s expected ratification of these two documents places the County and its resources in the best position to respond,” Callagy said. “Our use of the term ‘emergency’ in the declarations is legally required and doesn’t suggest that the situation has escalated.”

The call center number is (650) 363-4422.

General information about the novel coronavirus is available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or San Mateo County Health.