Surry, Wilkes counties facing increasing opioid overdose levels caused because of coronavirus - WXII12 Winston-Salem

In Surry County, emergency services officials said they are on pace for more than 500 overdoses.

"The amount of overdoses that we are writing right now is probably not correct," said John Shelton, director of emergency services in Surry County.

Surry County had 55 overdose deaths in 2017, 31 in 2018, 26 last year and is on pace for 28 deaths this year, according to Surry County emergency services.

In response to the growing crisis, Wilkes County's Opioid Response Program is launching a Naloxone Response Program to help prevent overdose deaths.

The Naloxone Response Program is part of a three-year, $1 million initiative to decrease overdose deaths, rates of substance use disorder and HIV/Hepatitis C infection and to increase access to treatment and recovery services.

The Opioid Response Program is a collaborative effort of local agencies including Project Lazarus, Wilkes County emergency medical services, AIDS Leadership Foothills Leadership Alliance, Mountain Health Solutions and Wilkes Recovery Revolution.