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First Wave: Three Months Of Coronavirus In Connecticut

Joe Amon
/
Connecticut Public/NENC
RN Alyssa Anderson is one of two nurses administering the COVID-19 test to patients in their cars at Saint Francis Hospital & Medical Center drive-through mobile center.

first_wave_part_2_for_web.mp3
First Wave Hour Two

On March 8, 2020 Gov. Ned Lamont announced the first declared case of coronavirus in a Connecticut resident. 

Just 12 weeks later, the death toll in the state surpassed 4,000. In between, life had radically changed for everyone in many different ways. 

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As the state begins to reopen, Connecticut Public’s reporters and visual journalists took a look back at three months of the pandemic through a radio special and a web presentation.

Listen to the voices of the pandemic, and explore scenes from the first wave of coronavirus in Connecticut. Hear the stories of essential workers, front-line healthcare staff, those who lost their jobs to the shutdown, and those who lost loved ones to the virus. 

Explore First Wave here

What did we get right, and what did we get wrong -- and are we prepared for what might happen in the future?

Tucker Ives is WNPR's morning news producer.
Harriet Jones is Managing Editor for Connecticut Public Radio, overseeing the coverage of daily stories from our busy newsroom.

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.

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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Connecticut Public’s journalism is made possible, in part by funding from Jeffrey Hoffman and Robert Jaeger.