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Hartford HealthCare's Dr. Ajay Kumar Weighs In On Rising COVID-19 Numbers

Drive-through COVID-19 Testing
Ryan Caron King
/
Connecticut Public Radio
Drive-through COVID-19 Testing

Connecticut’s COVID-19 numbers have been rising. And, as the weather gets colder, safe outdoor options for socializing will become more difficult. How worried should we be about a COVID-19 spike, and what can we do to help prevent it?

This hour we talk with Hartford Healthcare’s Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Ajay Kumar.

Are you worried about a second wave?

First: who are the people in your community that you trust?   The pandemic has taken a huge toll on mental health. But accessing resources can be challenging, and stigma continues to be a barrier.

We hear about an effort in New Haven to recruit trusted community members like barbers or salon owners to help connect residents with mental health resources.

GUESTS:

  • Adriane Jefferson - Director of Arts and Cultural Affairs for the City of New Haven
  • Dr. Ajay Kumar - Chief Clinical Officer for Hartford HealthCare
  • Caroline Chen - Health Reporter for Propublica

To register for the mental health training promoted by the City of New Haven here.

Cat Pastor contributed to this show.

Lucy leads Connecticut Public's strategies to deeply connect and build collaborations with community-focused organizations across the state.
Carmen Baskauf was a producer for Connecticut Public Radio's news-talk show Where We Live, hosted by Lucy Nalpathanchil from 2017-2021. She has also contributed to The Colin McEnroe Show.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

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