RALEIGH, N.C. – The phone is ringing less at the Wake County Emergency Operation Center's COVID-19 Call Center.

Katy Punch serves as the director. The center started in March to deal with the pandemic. Staffers answer calls ranging from safety protocols to financial aid available to struggling families.

"The most common calls are looking for testing...We show them how to register online and make an appointment," Punch says.

At the height of the pandemic, more than 30 employees fielded hundreds of calls of day. Now, it's only down to a handful of staffers picking up the phone maybe 100 times a day as the state's stay at home order has eased. 

The county hasn't said how long the call center will stay open.

"They'll [county officials] judge how long it will last based on the need of the community," Punch says.