Ray Horner Show

Dean Carro - President, Akron Bar Association

Donna Skoda - Summit County Health Commissioner

Tim Dimoff - SACS Consulting & Investigative Services

George Fisk - Coventry Superintendent

Andy Hill - Wadsworth Superintendent

The Delta variant has taken over as the dominant strain of COVID-19 in America today, and it has proven to be much more transmissible.

Dr. Hazel Barton is a microbiologist at the University of Akron, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to talk about all things Delta. Because of how contagious this particular variant is, she remains steadfast in warning folks to avoid larger gatherings such as Labor Day cookouts, and to continue wearing masks when social distancing is not possible. Dr. Barton also looks at how children seem to be contracting this strain easier and more often than the original alpha version of COVID-19 from 2020.

Donna Skoda - Summit County Health Commissioner

Since the Delta variant took over as the dominant strain, increases in cases and hospitalizations have happened across the board locally and nationally.

Dr. Cliff Deveny is the president and CEO of Summa Health Systems, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to look at the current numbers and how it continues to put a stress on the healthcare industry. Dr. Deveny says they are seeing numbers comparable to the peak months of December and January, and he points to the lack of vaccination numbers with some folks, along with the strength of this Delta variant for why it rages on.

After September 20th, a third booster shot will be available and have the possibility of staving off future variants and mutations, according to Dr. Deveny.

Normally, Akron mayor Dan Horrigan joins the Ray Horner Morning Show each Thursday at 7:10, but he had to adjust his schedule and call into the program on Friday.

Today, Horrigan talked more about the spread of the Delta variant throughout the Akron community. According to Horrigan, the local hospitals are not being overwhelmed right now, though most hospitalized are the unvaccinated. As for quality-of-life events at Hardesty Park or Lock 3, the mayor says the city continues to follow local health department and CDC protocol with masking and social distancing.

Switching gears, Horrigan shared his thoughts on the city taking over the managing operations at Firestone Stadium, after 22 years being run by Joey Arrietta and the Racers Foundation.

Tony Tsarouhas - Attorney