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Get the latest on the global Coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic as it impacts Northwest Indiana, the state, country, and globe. Bookmark this page as there will be several updates each day from Lakeshore Public Radio, IPB News, NPR, and the Associated Press.

Gary Health Commissioner Tested Positive for COVID-19

Marram Health Center

GARY- The Health Commissioner for the city of Gary has tested positive for COVID-19.
Dr. Roland Walker told Lakeshore Public Radio that he is a little scared, but educating people and health are among his top priorities, so he felt people needed to be told about his test results.

"I have been asymptomatic so my reaction is that I know that I'm one of those probably 80 percent of people who are positive and don't show signs and it's kind of scary to me because I'm a first responder, so is my wife, we are both physicians.  And I know that I have a daughter and my parents are in my home and I know that I could expose them so that always is you know worrisome," Walker says

Walker says his wife and daughter tested negative, but his parents, who are elderly, tested positive.  

"They are in their eighties and so I know that there is a possibility that I exposed them, maybe they exposed me," Walker says. "Either way we know that the case, being older they have comorbidities and it is you know kind of scary."

His father was sick and now he is well.  But his mother is very sick and is having a rough time.

Walker doesn't know where he contracted the virus, but he assumes he got it seeing patients.  He is a pediatric doctor and sees mostly kids.  He says he always wears a mask when he sees patients and typically children have not had a lot of serious complications with COVID-19.  But Walker says he is the health commissioner and he makes a lot of public appearances in that role, so it's also possible he could have gotten it out in public.  

 

Sharon Jackson is the local host of "All Things Considered" and a reporter for Lakeshore Public Radio. She has been with 89.1 FM since its launch in 2009. Sharon is also a radio DJ in Chicago, and has been since 2004. In her previous job at Metro Networks/Westwood One, she was heard on am 890 WLS, WGN radio 720 am and am 560 WIND. She has also delivered news and traffic reports on radio stations all over Chicago and the suburbs including 95.9 The River, 98.3 WCCQ and Star 96.7.
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