How the COVID-19 Crisis is Affecting Indian Americans

While the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on, almost 35% of Americans are now fully vaccinated, and for many life is returning to normal. However, across the Atlantic in India, where just 2% of the country’s 1.3 billion people are vaccinated, there is a major crisis raging. COVID cases have surged since March, with new cases hovering around 400,000 per day in the past two weeks.

The 21st was joined by a panel of guests to discuss how the crisis in India is affecting our Asian Indian communities here in Illinois.

Guests:

U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Schaumburg // IL-08

Baba Ji, President of the Nanaksar Sikh Temple in Rockford, Illinois

Dr. Rajesh “Raj” Govindaiah, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Memorial Health System in Springfield, Illinois.

Akanksha Cruczynski, Award-winning Filmmaker in Chicago and native of New Delhi, India

Jay Tummala, a resident of the Bloomington-Normal IL area for the last 18 years, originally from southeast India. Tummala is a mechanical engineer who works in IT, and is also a member of the Telugu Association of Bloomington Normal which works to preserve Telugu heritage and language here in Illinois.

Prepared for web by Zainab Qureshi

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