Sarasota health department sets up coronavirus call center

Sarasota County residents who exhibit symptoms associated with COVID-19 and believe they may have the disease should contact a newly established call center before visiting a healthcare provider, the Florida Department of Health announced today.

The phone number for the COVID-19 call center is 941-861-2883. In a release, the health department said experts will be on duty from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

“Subject-matter experts will interview callers to determine whether they are at risk for having COVID-19 based on travel history, contact with confirmed cases and other factors,” the release stated.

Citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the release said individuals meeting any of the following criteria have greater risk of contracting COVID-19:

• People showing symptoms of the disease, including fever, cough and shortness of breath;
• Anyone who has been in close contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19;
• Anyone who has recently traveled from a place with a history or ongoing spread of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

The Florida Department of Health also runs a coronavirus hotline available to the public 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The phone number for that hotline is 866-779-6121.

Information about COVID-19 in Florida is available on the Florida Department of Health website.