Pontiac, Michigan – Oakland County Executive David Coulter announced today a partnership with Beaumont Health making available a telephone screening hotline to assist parents and guardians to pre-screen and identify potential illness in students prior to entering a school. Hotline staff can help answer questions about COVID-19 symptoms, the need for testing, and what circumstances are considered high-risk when sending a child into a school facility.

“As more Oakland County students return to in-person learning, we want to ensure various resources are available to our families and schools to remain safe,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter said. “We are excited to partner with Beaumont to help parents and guardians navigate their health concerns or questions with health experts.”

Beginning Monday, October 12, the hotline will be available at 248-551-4242 from 5 a.m.- 8 a.m. Monday-Friday through December 30. Callers will speak to Beaumont health care professionals who can provide guidance and any recommendations necessary and refer some to the Health Division or other healthcare providers for additional follow-up.

“The Board along with county administration stand ready to support our students and parents as we begin to open our schools safely,” Board of Commissioners Chair David T. Woodward (D-Royal Oak) said. “This hotline is a resource to keep our kids and everyone safe.”

“We know many parents have questions right now about COVID-19 and we’re thrilled to partner with Oakland County to help provide some answers,” said Maureen Murphy, nurse practitioner at Beaumont. “We hope our clinical team will be able to offer comfort and guidance to parents who are trying to do what’s best for their children.”

In addition to the hotline, the county continues to support Oakland County’s public and private schools as they implement re-opening plans. Oakland County Health Division hired public health nurses who are assigned to assist school officials in developing and adhering to safety protocols. The Oakland County COVID-19 Public Health Toolkit for K-12 Schools also offers local, state and federal recommendations to reduce COVID-19 transmission in the school settings.

General COVID-19 resources can be found on the Health Division’s website at www.oakgov.com/covid or by contacting Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533 or [email protected]. Nurse on Call is available 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Saturday. For up-to-date public health information, follow @publichealthOC on Facebook and Twitter.

For media inquiries only please contact Bill Mullan, Oakland County media and communications officer, at 248-858-1048.