Leadership in pandemic merits thanks

Jobless claims fall to 712,000 as pace of layoffs eases

Future books about Ohio history will not be complete if they don’t examine the many ways that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the Buckeye State. While no one is sure when the COVID-19 saga will reach a conclusion, we already can look back at what’s happened during the first full year that the disease cast a wide and dark shadow over Ohio.

In fact, March 9 marked the one-year anniversary of Ohio’s first confirmed novel coronavirus case.

As of 2 p.m. that day, Ohio had 981,618 cumulative COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, 51,097 cumulative hospitalizations and 17,662 total deaths, according to Ohio Department of Health data.

ODH presumes 929,414 have recovered from the virus. ODH defines presumed recovered as those with a symptom onset date greater than 21 days prior who are not deceased.

When those statistics are broken down further, you’ll find that Lake County saw its first confirmed COVID-19 case eight days after the state did, on March 17, 2020.

As of 2 p.m. March 9, 2021, the county had 18,635 cumulative COVID-19 cases. There were 224 newly reported cases between March 2 and March 9, down from 233 reported the week prior.

It marks the eighth straight week that the county has seen a decline in new cases.

As of 2 p.m. March 9, Lake County has 705 cumulative COVID-19 hospitalizations, according to ODH.

There were six hospitalizations reported between March 2 and March 9, the lowest number of weekly hospitalizations since there were two reported between Oct. 6 and Oct. 13.

Lake County has 335 COVID-19 deaths as of 2 p.m. March 9, according to ODH. There were 17 deaths reported in the past week.

Definitive cause of death can take weeks to months to determine, according to health officials.

But if you want to view the big picture of how COVID-19 affected people in Lake County, along with neighboring Geauga and eastern Cuyahoga counties, it’s important to look beyond the confirmed cases, hospitalizations and deaths attributed to the disease.

Because COVID-19 also posed threats and challenges that took a toll on local school districts, businesses and health care institutions, to name a few examples.

During a 10-day span in March of 2020, the full effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic hit home with brute force.

Schools, restaurants, and other public facilities were closed, while the state saw its first COVID-related death. Then came the stay-at-home order.

The News-Herald is in the midst of publishing a threeday series focusing on COVID-19’s effects, looking back at how people coped in those initial days and after, and how they are planning to move forward.

News-Herald reporters talked with owners of area restaurants about what ran through their minds when Gov. Mike DeWine declared a complete halt to in-person dining. These owners also shared the steps they have taken to regain profitability over the past year.

We also checked in with area school superintendents, who discussed the challenges of educating students during the pandemic.

Families in the Painesville School District had the choice of whether to send their children to school or to keep them at home for remote learning.

“Many online learners have remained engaged and are demonstrating the steady growth and achievement which is expected,” said district Superintendent Joshua Englehart.

“However, for many other students and families, online learning was frankly not a good option. Despite our very best efforts to connect and engage, we have perpetual issues with attendance and participation online.”

In addition, we’re looking at how area municipal governments dealt with the simultaneous challenges of how to effectively carry out services to residents during a potentially deadly pandemic, while also having to face the loss of potential tax revenue to fund their operations.

It’s clear that leaders from various sectors of our community have been forced to make many difficult decisions over the past year that were created by health and safety risks posed by COVID-19. In conclusion, we commend these officials for having the courage to take actions they believed were in the best interest of the people whom they are committed to serving.

Though the job market has been slowly strengthening, many businesses remain under pressure, and 9.6 million jobs remain lost to the pandemic that flattened the economy 12 months ago.

WASHINGTON >> The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 712,000, the lowest total since early November, evidence that fewer employers are cutting jobs amid a decline in confirmed coronavirus cases and signs of an improving economy.

The Labor Department said Thursday that applications for unemployment aid dropped by 42,000 from 754,000 the week before. Though the job market has been slowly strengthening, many businesses remain under pressure, and 9.6 million jobs remain lost to the pandemic that flattened the economy 12 months ago.

In February, U.S. employers added a robust 379,000 jobs, the most since October, reflecting an economy in which consumers are spending more and states and cities are easing business restrictions. Thursday’s figure, though the lowest weekly figure in four months, showed that weekly applications for jobless benefits still remain high by historical standards: Before the viral outbreak, they had never topped 700,000, even during the Great Recession.

All told, 4.1 million Americans are receiving traditional state unemployment benefits. Counting supplemental federal unemployment programs that were established to soften the economic damage from the virus, an estimated 20.1 million people are collecting some form of jobless aid.

The continuing job cuts reflect the extent to which the pandemic disrupted normal economic activity and kept consumers hunkered down at home rather than out traveling, shopping, dining out and attending entertainment venues. Cities and states restricted the hours and capacity of restaurants, bars and other businesses. Even where restrictions didn’t exist, many Americans for months chose to stay home to avoid the risk of infection.

Now, though, as vaccinations are increasingly administered around the country, business limitations are gradually eased and consumers grow more comfortable engaging face to face with others, optimism about the economy is rising. Last month, consumers bounced back from months of retrenchment to step up their spending by 2.4% — the sharpest increase in seven months and a sign that the economy may be poised to sustain a recovery.

In the meantime, the number of confirmed new COVID-19 cases has dropped to an average of around 50,000 a day from nearly 250,000 in early January.

A brightening outlook for the economy was reinforced Wednesday, when Congress gave final approval to a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that will provide $1,400 payments to most adults and extend $300 weekly unemployment benefits into early September. The legislation will also provide money for viral vaccines and treatments, school re-openings, state and local governments and ailing industries ranging from airlines to concert halls.

Many economists suggest that the combination of substantial federal aid, a rising pace of vaccinations, continually low borrowing rates and the increased willingness of consumers to spend will unleash a robust economic recovery later this year. Still, defeating the coronavirus remains vital to achieving a full recovery of the economy and the job market.

“These are welcome policies, but they are still temporary relief,” said Ann Elizabeth Konkel, economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab. “To fully heal the labor market, the public health situation must be under control. Coronavirus started this mess and continues to cause massive economic damage on a daily basis.”

Despite signs of improvement in the economy, business is far from normal. The data firm Womply reports that 63% of movie theaters, live music venues and other entertainment establishments remain closed.

The services for William Gilroy have been rescheduled for 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 22, 2021 at St. Mary of the Assumption Church, 8560 Mentor Ave., Mentor. Family and friends are to meet at the church. Masks are required and social distancing is encouraged during all publicly attended events.

William (Bill) A. Gilroy, 86, of Concord, OH, formerly of South Euclid, OH.

Bill was the beloved husband of Carol (nee Klepek) for 59 years; loving father of Tim (Ginny) of Flower Mound TX, Ann (Mark) Kucera of San Antonio, TX, and William (Jen) of Glenview, IL; cherished Papa of nine and great-grandfather of 2.

Arrangements entrusted to Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060.

Offer condolences at www.brunners.com