Ray Horner Show

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One full year into the pandemic, and vaccine distribution has been ramped up as cases are going down. However, medical professionals urge folks not to let their guards down, even after they get their vaccines.

Dr. Cliff Deveny is the president and CEO of Summa Health Systems, and he provided an update on where his company is during the battle against COVID-19. Dr. Deveny shared some of the latest numbers, which includes 26 patients in his hospital currently with the coronavirus, down from its peak of 190 in mid-December. He also says there is a drop in serious cases where a patient has to be on a ventilator.

But while the numbers have gone down, Dr. Deveny and others are concerned about the spread of the variants. He also shared what individuals are able to do after they get their vaccine, which does not include taking their masks off and congregating.

Some states have already done away with their statewide mask mandate, and perhaps others may follow suit. But in Ohio, such measures are not on the radar for now, even though cases of COVID-19 are down and vaccine distribution is up.

Akron mayor Dan Horrigan joined the Ray Horner Morning Show for his weekly visit, which hits on everything related to the coronavirus. Horrigan talked about the availability in obtaining the vaccine, as well as the increase in messaging to convince residents to take it. As for the gatherings, Horrigan says his staff is working with the governor for the safe return of these events as the cases trend down.

The mayor also touched on the present and future use of the Chapel Hill Mall property, and how the East End project is coming along, even after much of the planning took a backseat during the pandemic.

On Tuesday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that his state will be reopened to full capacity, which includes lifting the statewide mask mandate. Mississippi will do the same, as some southern states have modeled themselves after Florida’s lead.

These reopenings are not without their concerns, especially from health experts such as Dr. Thomas File. Dr. File is an infectious disease expert from Summa Health, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to talk about everything related to COVID-19, from the vaccines to the variants. Dr. File, like many others, believes a majority of the public needs to be vaccinated in order to reach herd immunity, with the number looking to be over 70%. He shared what he knows about the recently-approved Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which unlike Pfizer, is one shot, easier to distribute as far as logistics, and may even be able to fight off asymptomatic spread.

Dr. File also touched on the importance of getting that second shot, as that one will give an individual the antibodies to fight off the virus, which includes the variants.

Everyone has been affected by COVID-19 in the last year, from the healthcare perspective to the economy, and has trickled down to each individual. Some towns and business have fared better than others, but the majority have taken a hit.

One of those towns has been Barberton, a city that fell on hard times long before the pandemic. Barberton mayor Bill Judge joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to give an update on his city and how the pandemic has affected their businesses, both small and large. While businesses have gradually reopened since many were forced to cease operations in March of 2020, Judge says his city still needs stimulus relief, even as there is optimism that the pandemic is waning.

Though it will have limited capacity to start, Canal Park will host Akron RubberDucks baseball this summer.

RubberDucks owner Ken Babby joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to discuss his excitement for the return of baseball after what will be a 19-month layoff. Babby says he will continue to work with Summit County Public Health to ensure safety and gather advice on the proper protocols going forward. He feels they are prepared ahead of their May 4th opener, and they are also prepared to make any and all adjustments with the advice from the health department.

In addition to RubberDucks games, Canal Park has also hosted high school games and tournaments, and that will continue into 2021.