David Canniff, president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, said the board declared loneliness a public health crisis and described county efforts to help residents connect.

"This board of supervisors declared loneliness a public health crisis in The United States Of America, the first county to do such," Canniff said, citing national concern about social isolation.

Canniff said the declaration followed comments by then-U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, who characterized loneliness as an epidemic. "The numbers throughout The United States relative to those people feeling lonely was at about 50 percent," Canniff said, and he added that San Mateo County's resident survey showed similar results.

Canniff described concrete county work on the issue, including a program series called "Loneliness to Light," investments in peer counseling targeted to older adults and the creation of public "spaces of opportunity to connect." "My office and the county continue to do work around loneliness," he said.

He also previewed a public presentation in October at the Henry J Kaiser Auditorium where he will speak about what loneliness is and "how we can make sure that we're connecting people with the resources they need." The remarks were presented as an update on ongoing county efforts rather than a proposal for new legislation or a vote.

The county's next public outreach on the topic is scheduled for October; Canniff said the county will continue to invest in programs that aim to reduce social isolation, particularly for older residents.