Although this is not the first pandemic of recent times, the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has most certainly made the most impact across the United States, the State of Ohio, right down to North Royalton.
As far as it has been reported so far, it first started in December, 2019, when the World Health Organization (WHO) office in China reported a pneumonia of unknown cause that was detected in Wuhan, China. An outbreak was then declared as a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020. On February 11, 2020, the WHO officials announced the name for the new coronavirus disease as COVID-19. The first case in the United States was reported on January 20, 2020 in the state of Washington. On January 31, 2020, President Donald Trump banned foreign nationals from entering the country if they were in China within the previous two weeks. On February 29, the first death was reported. On March 13, 2020, Trump proclaimed that the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States constitutes a national emergency, beginning March 1, 2020.
On March 10, Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in response to the confirmation of three cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, in Cuyahoga County declared. In the following weeks, all schools and school-related activities were shut down; large gatherings of people were prohibited; all sporting/entertainment events were suspended; nursing homes/assisted living facilities were locked down; all non-essential businesses were closed, some allowing their employees to work from home; a stay-at-home order was issued; restaurants were closed except for take-out/delivery; the primary election was suspended, with only mail-in votes accepted and the absentee voting extended to April 28; income tax filing deadline was extended to July15; elective surgeries and procedures were postponed; some inmates were released from jail; grocery and other essential businesses were given restrictions for social distancing criteria.
The City of North Royalton has continued to serve its residents, but has shut down City Hall and other locations to the public. Some city employees are working from home. On March 20, Mayor Larry Antoskiewicz issued a press release, noting that “we live in unsettling times, but I assure you that I and my staff are working constantly to see that your city government is adapting to the changing landscape and rises to these challenges. Consistent with the Governor’s orders and with the exception of the Police Department and Fire Station, I am directing that all City Buildings will be closed to the public, effective at 4 p.m. March 20. The Building Department will remain open but with limited access. This is just one part of our continuing efforts to protect the health of our residents and our employees.” All city parks were then closed. North Royalton Council President suspended all Council committee meetings and reduced the bi-monthly City Council meetings to one per month. The April 7 meeting utilized technology so that Council members could attend the meeting while staying at home.
On April 6, the time of this article, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has published the following data related to the Coronavirus: Total cases: 330,891; Total deaths: 8,910. That data includes the following jurisdiction: 50 states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It also states that “these numbers are preliminary and have not been confirmed by state and territorial health departments.” The state of Ohio reported 4,450 cases and 142 deaths. In Cuyahoga County, 871 cases were reported, with 15 deaths. The county also has released a map, breaking it down by zip code, but, in North Royalton, some of the reported cases are actually in Parma. The zip code shows between 22 and 47 cases reported and no deaths.
By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer