Mt. Clemens, MI - As part of its work to stop the spread of COVID-19, the Macomb County Health Department, and staff from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are reaching out to Macomb County residents and other Michiganders who have tested positive for COVID-19, as well as to the contacts of those individuals.
The purpose of these calls is to check on health status, provide information about COVID-19 and actions people should be taking, help locate needed services and track the spread of the infection in the community.
“We have all been conditioned to avoid answering the phone if we do not recognize the number of the person calling, but during this time, a call from your local health department could be someone offering you important information regarding your health,” said William Ridella, director/health officer of the Macomb County Health Department, “We ask Macomb County residents to please answer these calls and return voicemails from the Health Department or the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.”
Calls may be from an area code where residents typically do not receive calls from, including the 517 area code. To keep each person’s information confidential and to provide residents with information they need, it is important for Health Department staff to speak directly with impacted Macomb County residents.
It is also important for Macomb residents to keep in mind that state officials recently issued a reminder to residents to be on alert for scammers spoofing numbers from local health departments. Spoofing allows it to appear as if the caller is dialing from a recognizable number to encourage you to pick up the phone. The Macomb County Health Department wants residents to be aware of how to determine a scam call from a legitimate call from the health department.
The Macomb County Health Department and MDHHS will not: offer medication for treatment or prevention of COVID-19; ask for Medicaid or other insurance information for billing purposes; or request personal financial information such as a social security number or driver’s license number.
Questions that will be asked by the Macomb County Health Department include: current health status; symptoms they may be experiencing; individuals they have been in contact with; places they have been in recent days; and other health-related questions.
If you are concerned about a call you received from any local health department or MDHHS, please contact the Macomb County Health Department Helpline at 586-463-3750. The Helpline is open 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday-Friday. If you need further assistance, contact the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Hotline which is open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. at 888-535-6136. You can also send an email to
About the Macomb County Health Department
In partnership with the communities we serve, the mission of the Macomb County Health Department is to protect the health and well-being of all who live, work, and play in Macomb County. We pursue our mission by providing a wide range of programs and services that are delivered by Environmental Health Services, Family Health Services, Community Health Planning and Promotion, and our Disease Prevention and Control program. For more information, visit: https://health.macombgov.org/Health-Home.