'COVID-19 Hotline' answers questions, provides resources for DeKalb County residents

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - People who live in DeKalb County have a new resource to get their questions about coronavirus answered. The county's health department opened an alternative to the state's hotline.

"It's not one of your typical call centers that you would envision in your head, with a phone bank of operators sitting side by side," says Eric Nickens, Jr. with the DeKalb County Board of Health. "In order to maintain that six-foot distancing between people we actually have operators at their own desks throughout the building.

Nickens says workers can provide information related to risks, prevention, symptoms, isolation, community resources, and testing.

"We also get those people connected through the proper resources here in the community, whether they need to talk to their primary care provider and they need to put in a request with the state for them to be approved for COVID-19 testing."

The call center is open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, and can be reached by calling 404-294-3700, Option 1.