Ray Horner Show

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.

Margo Sommerville is the president of Akron City Council, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to discuss the ordinance in detail. After speaking with Dr. Brian Harte from Cleveland Clinic Akron General about hospitals being overwhelmed, Sommerville says Akron needed to put something in place. She stresses the city does not want to fine residents left and right, but to educate them. The fines would be as a last resort.

The mayor of Akron and city council agreed on a new ordinance Monday night which will restrict gatherings to no more than six, in order to cut down on the spread of COVID-19. Failure to comply may result in a $250 fine.

Donna Skoda is the commissioner of Summit County Public Health, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to discuss these new restrictions. With Halloween in the rearview mirror and Thanksgiving coming up, Skoda says the county is looking out for the residents due to community spread from sleepovers and casual gatherings.

As far as enforcement goes, Skoda believes most residents will take this seriously, but if some disobey the orders, they will be educated further on the issue and subject to a penalty.

COVID-19 continues to spread through the country, and especially in Ohio’s 88 counties. Though there is the possibility of a light at the end of the tunnel with a vaccine, medical professionals urge everyone to keep their guards up.

Dr. Cliff Deveny is the president and CEO of Summa Health System, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to give an update on what he is seeing with the fate of the coronavirus. Dr. Deveny announced on Thursday some new restrictions on patient visitation at Summa’s facilities. While it won’t be a full shutdown of visitation, it will be on a case-by-case basis to be cautious.

Dr. Deveny also discussed how we got hit hard again with COVID-19, if this is still a continuation of the first wave or if we’re on the second, the effectiveness of masks, and the vaccine rollout.

Governor Mike DeWine held a primetime address on Wednesday to go over a number of issues during the increased spread of COVID-19. One of those orders happens to be increased mask ordinances in public places where it may not have been as strictly enforced since July. Also, if numbers do not trend downward in a week, the governor may be forced to close restaurants, bars, and gyms.

Those are statewide orders, but what about local mandates? Akron mayor Dan Horrigan joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to discuss the virus spread. Though he admits mask compliance has been very high in Summit County, much of the spread has been due to informal indoor gatherings at homes and apartments.

Horrigan also mentioned the strain on the healthcare system due to the virus, and how the next two weeks are a critical point with Thanksgiving on the horizon.

While COVID-19 continues to spread throughout America and many parts of the world, the good news is a vaccine may be on the way in the early portion of 2021.

Dr. Donald Dumford is an infectious disease expert with Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to share his insight on the Pfizer vaccine. Dr. Dumford believes this to be exciting news, even if people will need to get two annual shots.

Dr. Dumford also talked about the coronavirus itself and how it continues to spread. He also mentioned the long-hauler effects some who have been infected are noticed, such as continued respiratory or cardiac issues.

News broke on Monday morning from Pfizer about a vaccine approaching, with early data showing a 90% effective rate. But just because a vaccine may be on the horizon, health officials urge citizens to not let their guards down.

Donna Skoda is one of those officials, as she is the commissioner at the Summit County Public Health department, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to plead with the residents to keep masking up, stay at a social distance, and to avoid large gatherings. Skoda says the rates of community spread are “alarming,” with this occurring with folks between the ages of 15 and 55, though locally, the hospitals are not overwhelmed at this time.

Once again, the voters in Ohio turned out, whether at the ballot box or absentee, and they chose to keep Tim Ryan as their congressman.

Rep. Ryan joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to talk about his re-election, and what is on his plate going forward. First, Ryan thanked the voters for re-electing him, and one of the issues he will keep pushing forward on is staying firm in trade with countries such as China. He is also sponsoring a bill to help take care of small restaurants and performance venues.

The congressman also congratulated voters on electing Joe Biden as their next president. Could Ryan have a future in Biden’s cabinet?

Due to the continued fallout from the 2020 presidential race, COVID-19 news has taken a backseat in today’s ever-changing media. On Thursday, Governor Mike DeWine announced there were close to 5,000 new cases reported in the state of Ohio.

Dr. Hazel Barton is a microbiologist from the University of Akron, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to cover the latest news from inside the lab. She discussed the difference in coronaviruses such as the common cold and COVID-19, and how the cold can affect the body down the road. She also touched on other long-hauler effects, from skin issues to Kawasaki Syndrome.

Dr. Barton says she is encouraged by the news of a potential vaccine, which may come out as early as the first quarter of 2021.

So much focus has been on the presidential election that the local races slip through the cracks in people’s minds.

Akron mayor Dan Horrigan joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to discuss the charter amendments in the city. Inside those amendments, according to Horrigan, the city will continue to put a spotlight on transparency and accountability, which ranges from increased use of body camera footage to additional city council information.

The mayor also touched on how the city is holding up during the pandemic, especially due to the CARES Act money running out for local businesses.

Mayor Bill Judge discussed Barberton’s failed property tax levy