Questions About Coronavirus? Call Louisville Metro Helpline

Press release from the City of Louisville:

October 29, 2020

The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and Lacuna Health has increased staffing for its COVID-19 Helpline to even more quickly provide support and answers to residents and businesses with questions about COVID-19 – and to initiate the contact tracing process among those testing positive for the virus.

Metro’s Contact Tracing team is available to answer the hotline 24 hours a day, 7 days, and bilingual team members and language translation services are available. The number is 502-912-8598.

Karen Handmaker, a population health expert and former executive at IBM Watson Health, who is overseeing the city’s contact tracing and helpline efforts, said it is important that people who test positive reach out to the contract tracing team, because as many as 40 percent of positive COVID-19 test results the department receives have no contact information.

“We can’t call to check on someone who has recently tested positive if we don’t have a phone number,” Handmaker said. “We encourage anyone who has recently tested positive to please call the helpline. Our contact tracers and care advocates want to make sure you get the care you need, have what you need to safely isolate and quarantine, and answer any questions you have.”

Handmaker said the COVID-19 Helpline is also helpful for businesses. “Our care advocates can provide helpful guidance and information to businesses who have an employee test positive,” she said.

Residents, businesses and employees are encouraged to reach out to the LOU HEALTH HELPLINE (502-912-8598) if:

• They or a family member has tested positive and needs to know their next steps;
• They are waiting for a test result and aren’t sure what to do;
• They were in close contact with someone who tested positive and need guidance;
• They have questions about safely isolating, quarantining;
• They’ve test positive and want to ensure others they’ve been in contact with are notified of their risks by contract tracers.

This press release was produced by the City of Louisville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.