Ray Horner Show

Nearly three thousand people lined up over the weekend at the Summit County Health Department for COVID-19 testing. Many are concerns about possible symptoms, and the residents ventured to the West Akron facility to receive some confirmation or affirmation.

Donna Skoda is the commissioner of that health department, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to talk about where the county is during this fight against the coronavirus. Just last week, Summt County and others surrounding it entered the “purple” phase, or level four, with high risk of COVID-19, and she encourages listeners to call their doctors if they are experiencing potential symptoms of the virus before running out for a test.

Skoda also mentioned the vaccine on the horizon, as well as the recommended length in quarantine days, which has conflicted on occasion with the CDC.

On Thursday, Governor Mike DeWine announced several new counties reaching level four, "the purple level,” in COVID-19 cases, which Summit and Medina Counties fall into that category.

Dr. Brian Harte is the president of one of the region’s biggest hospitals in Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to break down what he is seeing from his facilities. Dr. Harte says they have more than doubled their COVID-19 patients from its spring peak to between 90 and 100, and about a third to half of their ICU patients are related to the virus. They are also fearful of an inevitable spike in the coming days following the Thanksgiving holiday.

Dr. Harte praised his frontline staff, which has been stressed since the beginning of the pandemic. Though there is a light at the end of the tunnel with a vaccine, which Dr. Harte mentions in terms of preparation and distribution.

By December, many Americans have some experience with COVID-19, whether they know someone who has contracted it and maybe even perished from it, or have had it themselves. One of those individuals happens to be the mayor of Akron.

Mayor Dan Horrigan joined the Ray Horner Morning Show on Thursday to talk about his personal experience with COVID-19, which, luckily and thankfully, was a mild case. He urges the citizens of Akron to keep their guards up with social distancing, masking, and avoiding crowds, especially during the no gathering ordinance. The main goal with the virus in the community, according to the mayor, is to not overwhelm the hospitals, but if that occurs, the city has backup alternative facilities that can be "fully implementable."

As for city services in the home stretch of 2020 and into 2021, Horrigan says services such as leaf pickup and snow plowing will continue, even while federal dollars are not flowing in.

The United Kingdom will distribute the first round of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine next week, with the United States happening after December 15th. The first batch of the vaccine will go to the healthcare workers followed by nursing home patients, and the tiers continue to trickle down.

For more information on the vaccine, Dr. Thomas File from Summa Health is an infectious disease expert and he shared his insight on the Ray Horner Morning Show. He touched on the skepticism surrounding the vaccine, from the “warp speed” timetable of producing it to other issues as to why an individual may refuse to take it.

The United Kingdom will distribute the first round of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine next week, with the United States happening after December 15th. The first batch of the vaccine will go to the healthcare workers followed by nursing home patients, and the tiers continue to trickle down.

Even with a vaccine on the horizon, the virus continues to spread throughout the country. From Summa Health is their president and CEO, Dr. Cliff Deveny. Dr. Deveny says Summa is “doing fine” during this recent surge, mainly from the planning and increasing of capacity from the spring. He also mentioned the freezers used to hold the vaccine.

COVID-19 rages on throughout the country and the world, setting records in cases and hospitalizations each day. Though there is a light at the end of the tunnel as far as a vaccine goes, will everyone take it?

Donna Skoda is the health commissioner from Summit County Public Health, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show for another visit touching on the latest news with the coronavirus. Skoda went over the tiers of the vaccine rollout, which will be distributed to first responders at the beginning, then the most vulnerable, and eventually everyone will have their chance. But Skoda mentioned a poll saying only half of those polled will be willing takers of the vaccine.

The health commissioner also brought up the case and hospitalization numbers locally, which are high like most places in the country. She also talked about how hospitals are ceasing some elective surgeries, and how antibodies may give an individual a 90-day immunity if they’ve already had the virus.

The deadline is approaching to sign up for Medicare. Customers have until December 7th to shop for, join, or switch their plans.

Anne Armao is the vice president of Medicare and Individual Products & Services at SummaCare, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to promote the benefits under the SummerCare umbrella. She urges the listeners to find what plan is best for the individual, not necessarily what others have looked into.

For those interested in what SummerCare has to offer, listeners can call at 888-464-8440 or visit SummaCare.com/Medicare.

Many businesses that have the capability of having their employees work from home have done so since March, but some workplaces either do not have the luxury or prefer their employees to be in the building. What happens if one of those workers contracts COVID-19? And what if an employee refuses to head to the office because a co-worker showed symptoms?

Nancy Holland is a labor attorney in the Akron area, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to talk about employees’ rights. Holland admits the differences in states and workplaces based on COVID-19 case rates, but mainly, employees have the right to a safe and secure work environment. She encourages employees to write to their employer about their concerns, and that worker has every right to do so.

On the flip side, Holland also mentions the employer’s responsibility in such a scenario and how to manage their staff.

Questions and confusion have revolved around Akron’s new ordinance which caps private gatherings at six, and it has spawned praise from some and criticism from others.

Akron mayor Dan Horrigan joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to explain the reasoning behind this measure. Horrigan acknowledges the ordinance may appear extreme and he understands the pushback, but with hospitals nearing capacity, he felt the city needed to do something to curb the spread. He believes this measure is an alternative to a full lockdown, much like Ohio saw from March through May.

The mayor also talked about how the police will enforce the measure, and also mentioned plans the city and healthcare community have in place in case COVID-19 gets even worse going forward.

On Monday, Akron City Council passed a new measure limiting gatherings to no more than six for the next month. Those who do not comply may be subject to a $250 fine.

This measure was not without pushback, as mentioned by Clay Cozart, the FOP president. Not necessarily about the ordinance itself, but the police presence and patrol in neighborhoods.