HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – A regional COVID-19 hotline in the Central Shenandoah Health District will be discontinued on Monday, August 31.

The hotline has been in service since March 2020 when the pandemic first began, but now the efforts of hotline staff will be focused elsewhere.

With some school divisions and institutions of higher-education heading back to class, Dr. Laura Kornegay, the district’s health director, said it is better for the staff’s attention to be on investigations and contact tracing.

More staff members will be available to conduct in-depth interviews with positive cases and reach out to anyone who could have had close contact.

“Our local health department is always available for questions, concerns and resources, so we’ll just be shifting some of that call volume away from the hotline and toward our local health departments,” Kornegay said.

The Virginia Department of Health will continue to operate a statewide COVID-19 hotline at (877)-ASK-VDH3 (877-275-8343.) The hotline is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon.

With many college students coming back to the Shenandoah Valley, Kornegay said to continue following COVID-19 guidelines, like social distancing, staying out of larges groups and crowds, wearing masks and washing your hands.

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