After receiving around 400 calls each day, the Hamilton County Health Department is changing the hours of operation for its COVID-19 hotline to adjust for high call volumes earlier in the day, according to a news release.
The call center has gotten over 20,000 calls since March 5 and the time adjustment will allow more staff to be available during peak hours, said health department administrator Becky Barnes in a statement.
According to the release, the hotline's most common questions include "Where can I get tested?", "I think I've been exposed, what do I need to do?" and "What are the results of my test?"
The new hours will be: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and it is closed on Sundays.
The Hamilton County Health Department hotline can be reached at (423) 209-8383.
When the Hamilton County line is unavailable, residents can call the Tennessee Department of Health's COVID-19 hotline at 877-857-2945 or 833-556-2476 for answers to general questions, although local information may be limited. These lines are active Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Additional resources can be accessed on the Hamilton County Health Department website at health.hamiltontn.org.