Westerly Hospital says “a physician associated” with the hospital has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now being monitored at home.
Alex Nunes
Alex oversees the three local bureaus at The Public’s Radio, and staffs the desk for our South County Bureau. Alex was previously the co-host and co executive producer of The Public's Radio podcast, Mosaic. The show explored the history of immigration in Southern New England through the stories of individual immigrants and their descendants and received an Edward R. Murrow Award for best podcast in the New England region. Alex previously worked as an editor at The Westerly Sun and The New London Day.
Posted inArticle, Health
Police Chief Says Two Westerly Children Have Recovered From COVID-19
The two children who tested positive for coronavirus last week in Westerly have both recovered, Police Chief Shawn Lacey announced at a news conference Friday.
Posted inArticle, Health
At Community Health Center, It’s A “Tense Situation”
Community health centers in Rhode Island are operating under a new normal. At Wood River Health Services in Hope Valley, that means cancelled appointments, new protocols from the state Department of Health, and a surge of phone calls from uncertain patients with questions about COVID-19.
Posted inArticle, Health
“Everyone’s Anxiety Level Is Up”: Psychiatrists Seeing The Impact Of COVID-19
At a time when so much is uncertain, one of the best things people can do for their own well-being is focus on what they can control. That’s the advice of Dr. Anthony Gallo, a psychiatrist in private practice in North Kingstown and on staff at Westerly Hospital. He spoke with The Public’s Radio South County Reporter Alex Nunes about the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on mental health and also what people can do if they’re feeling fearful and overwhelmed.
Posted inArticle, Business
Coronavirus Is Here, And RI Summer Homes Are Filling Up
The coronavirus has some summer residents heading to their Rhode Island second homes earlier than usual.
Posted inArticle, Business
In Westerly, COVID-19 Cases Disrupt Business As Usual
Activity slowed down significantly in Westerly over the weekend, the town where two children tested positive for COVID-19 this past week.
Posted inArticle, Health
Hospital Official Says Many More COVID-19 Cases Likely In Westerly
The chief medical officer of Westerly Hospital says it’s safe to assume there are many more positive cases of COVID-19 in Westerly than the two reported this past week
Posted inArticle, Arts And Culture
Confronting Slavery’s Hidden History In RI’s South County
Rhode Island’s outsized role in slavery isn’t such a hidden secret anymore. In recent decades, prominent families have helped unearth the truth about ancestors who were slave traders. Brown University and the Episcopal Diocese, among others, now acknowledge they benefited from slavery. But less attention has been paid so far to the historic plantation economy of South County, R.I. Now a group of historians and volunteers wants to change that.
Posted inArticle, Business
Frustration Over Short-Term Rentals Reaches Tipping Point In Narragansett
The town of Narragansett is in the process of revising its building ordinances to clamp down on the recent expansion of Airbnb-style short-term rentals within its residential neighborhoods.
Posted inArticle, Business
Ambitious Development Proposal Faces Pushback in North Kingstown
Some residents in the towns of North Kingstown and Exeter are trying to halt construction of an expansive housing and commercial development project they say will negatively impact the rural character of their area of South County.
