ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — St. Louis County has partially activated its emergency operations center to prepare for the possibility of local cases of coronavirus.
Currently, there are no cases of coronavirus in Missouri.
The gradual activation includes bringing together different agencies at the emergency operations center, including the health department, office of emergency management, public information officers, local fire/EMS, and the St. Louis Medical Operations Center.
“We must be prepared and educated and ready to respond at a moment’s notice,” St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said in a press release. “But we must always keep things in perspective. This is not a reason to panic."
The health department is also putting together a community engagement program to get more resources to county residents.
The health department is working with community groups and employees to help inform residents of the best ways to avoid getting sick and basic information about the virus, the release said.
This week, the county also launched a website and hotline dedicated to providing information about coronavirus. The hotline number is 314-615-2600.