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DeKalb County leaders talk COVID-19 racial disparities at third virtual town hall By CARSON COOK carson@appenmediagroup.com
CITY OF DUNWOODY/SPECIAL
A new signaled crosswalk on Hammond Drive near the State Farm Park Center campus will allow pedestrians to safely cross the busy roadway even during rushhour.
Hammond Drive crosswalk improves pedestrian safety DUNWOODY, Ga. — The City of Dunwoody and Perimeter Community Improvement Districts have completed work on a new signalized, mid-block crosswalk on Hammond Drive to improve pedestrian safety and walkability in the area. “This will be an important addition as we begin to emerge from the current COVID-19 crisis,” Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said. “The area is quiet now, but this crosswalk is ready to go when vehicular and pedestrian traffic begin to pick up.” The Hammond mid-block crosswalk project was identified by the city and the PCIDs to improve safety on a busy thoroughfare where pedestrian traffic is growing. The addition of new high-rise
office buildings and the proximity to MARTA’s Dunwoody station and Perimeter Mall made this area a priority. The crosswalk is located on Hammond Drive between State Farm’s Park Center campus on the south side and the new Twelve24 building and Perimeter Mall on the north side. The crosswalk includes a pedestrian refuge island in the median and a traffic signal that gives a red light to drivers when a pedestrian pushes the button to cross Hammond Drive. “The Hammond mid-block project is a welcome addition to the changing landscape immediately surrounding Perimeter Mall,” said Perimeter Mall Senior
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DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Expert panelists did not shy away from tough questions at DeKalb County’s third COVID-19 virtual town hall April 9. Discussion topics included racial disparities in infection rates, children’s mental health and busting misconceptions. The health experts noted that there are many rumors and myths about the virus, such as that certain vitamins will protect you from or help treat the disease. The reality, according to Dr. Elizabeth Ford, CEO of the DeKalb County Board of Health, is that all you can do is try to be as healthy as possible by eating well and exercising regularly. Regular exercise was also a piece of advice offered by mental health experts at the event, Dr. Anastasia Brown Alvarado, a specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry, and Dr. Demaree Trammel, a psychiatry specialist with the DeKalb Community Service Board. They also recommended staying connected through social media and technology, following a routine, taking time for yourself and seeking professional help if needed. “While we’re taking precautionary measures like hand washing and
social distancing in order to flatten the curve with this virus, we also need to take measures to protect our mental health,” Alvarado said. Anxiety, depression or frustration are normal during stressful times like these, Alvarado said. She also asked parents to be on the lookout for behavioral or sleep changes in their children. “With our daily existence having changed before our eyes, we’ve had to adapt to a new normal,” Alvarado said. “We’re managing grief, loss, disappointments, economic instability and just uncertainty.” The panelists took time to discuss evidence that African Americans have been disproportionally hospitalized for COVID-19. Dr. Patrick O’Carroll, head of The Task Force for Global Health’s health systems strengthening sector, said that while more research is needed, generally lowincome individuals, who are disproportionately black, have less access to healthcare, healthy food and regular exercise. These factors contribute to conditions like high blood pressure, obesity or diabetes, which put people at greater susceptibility to the disease. “I suspect that a great deal of it has to do with preexisting conditions, not
See DEKALB, Page 2