Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller showcased a homemade mask in a video briefing on Monday afternoon, April 6, about the city’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. He said their Environmental Health Department has reached out to over 150 nursing facilities to give infection control guidance and remind them of public health orders like halting group activities and dining. KUNM spoke with Mayor Keller over the weekend about other ways the city is working to support residents through the crisis. 

Around the country, as the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 within prisons and jails continues to rise, facilities are releasing incarcerated people early to reduce overcrowding and slow the spread of the virus. Dozens of protesters gathered in car rallies in Albuquerque and Santa Fe Friday to demand the release of prisoners in New Mexico.

In episode 35, we ask people to reflect on shifts in their perspectives, about their lives, about how things have been working or not working for people in our country or around the world. KUNM's Nash Jones reports on delivery drivers working for corporate apps who saw a big shift in the urgency and necessity of their work. They speak about the human connections keeping them in it, despite the dangers. 

In episode 34,  we discover how prepared hospitals and health care facilities in New Mexico really are. And we go all over the state for this one.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered museums and galleries, leaving artists without income and audiences without artistic inspiration.  But a nonprofit in Albuquerque is finding ways around the shutdown.

The COVID-19 pandemic has cancelled in-person classes for universities and public schools in New Mexico, including crucial hands-on learning for nursing students in hospitals. That leaves future nurses feeling ill-prepared to take on the responsibilities of nursing after graduation.