How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people, businesses and downtowns two years later – Wooster Daily Record

Wayne, Ashland and Holmes counties have reached COVID-19 case lows not seen since mid-2021 and theearliest days of the pandemic.

In mid-March,Wayne County cases dropped by nearly 50%while Holmes and Ashland county cases increased, thoughstill remained low, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Holmes County cases increased by 19 to 30 cases; Ashland County went up by three to 27 cases.

Ohio cases as a whole dropped by 25% in mid-March and cases nationwide dropped by nearly 30%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

COVID: Wayne County's COVID cases fall 42.9%; Ohio cases plummet 25%

This sudden lull comes after Wayne and Ashland counties experienced a record-breaking phase of the pandemic over the holidays when cases reached new heights.

In recent weeks, the CDC downgraded the three counties from high rates of transmission to moderate. All three counties were listed as high since late summer and early fall of 2021.

And as the pandemic seemingly winds down in the U.S., cases are on the rise in Europe and Asia a possible foreshadowing of the next wave to strike North America.

"We're learning a lot about the next wave that's going to happen in the U.S.," Dr. Eric Topol,director of the Scripps Research Translational Institute in La Jolla, California, told USA Today."It's going to happen. It's unavoidable."

Two years of the deadly disease outbreak killed over 6 million people with nearly 4.7 million cases worldwide, according to John Hopkins University.

More than 970,000 people have died in the U.S. out of the nearly 8 million confirmed cases since March 2020, per John Hopkins statistics.In other words, 1.2% of those confirmed cases resulted in deaths.

In the tri-county area, Wayne County has the largest population of approximately 115,710. Of that total, 23,068 people or nearly 20% of the population caught COVID-19 with 432 dying of virus-related complications, according to Ohio Department of Health data.

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With53,484 people, Ashland County has the second largest population of the three counties. Nearly 22% of the population or 11,930 people caught COVID; 212 died.

Wayne and Ashland county COVID-related death rates are around 1.8%, slightly above the national percentage, according to the CDC.

Holmes County has the smallest population with 43,960 people andhad the highest percentage of coronavirus deaths in the tri-county area. Of the 5,098 people who caught COVID,180 or 3.5% died.

Vaccination rates have remained stagnant in each county. Wayne County has the most fully vaccinated residents at 48%. Ashland County sits at 45% while Holmes County, where roughly half of the population is Amish or Mennonite, remains at 19%, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

Looking back over the past two years, Wayne County Health Commissioner Nick Cascarelli remembers when the first cases hit Ohio in March 2020 and the shortage of masks and PPE that followed.

Ahead of the closures, Cascarelli said he and the staff at the health department tried to meet organizations like schools and nursing homes to give them guidance ahead of the inevitable rise of cases.

Once supplies were more readily available for people other than first responders, more people began venturing out. Things like mask-wearing, clear dividers and social distancing became the new normal.

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Cascarelli remembers the COVID vaccine becameavailable in December of 2020, in limited quantities, with roll-out phases based on occupation, age and health conditions.

As cases continue to diminish and businesses relax masking, distancing and other rules, Cascarelli believes some changes experienced during the pandemic willstick around.

With the rising popularity of video conferencing services like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, more people are likely to hold virtual meetings or work from home, especially if they are sick.

Although the pandemic has brought welcomed attention to increased cleaning and personal hygiene, it's also divided some who have angrily disagreed at public meetings, in schools andin businesses about mask wearing and vaccinations.

"We need to be kinder to each other," Cascarelli said. "There's so much divisiveness that occurred over (the pandemic). We need to be kinder to one another, even if we don't think the same way about things."

The pandemic left no community untouched. Villages and cities in the tri-county area mighthave fared better than their larger, more urban counterparts, but some businesses still struggled.

For Holmes County manufacturers, the impact varied based on theproduct produced at a certain company, saidHolmes County Economic Development Council Executive Director Mark Leininger

"Companies that manufactured jarred goods and shelf-stable food items saw significant increases in demand for their products, particularly during the early stages of the pandemic," Leininger said.

Outdoor furniture and structure manufacturers saw increased demand as people remained home, opting for staycations, he said. Many customers took the time at home to renovate or redecorate.

Other companies like Berlin Gardens, a manufacturer of outdoor poly furniture in Holmes County, used its manufacturing facility to help produce emergency equipment early on in the pandemic.

Now they are back to regular production of their furniture.

Leininger said some companies suffered during the pandemic and are working to build back up.

"Manufacturers of restaurant furniture suffered from decreased product demand, as dining spaces were closed and restaurant seating was limited," he said. "It is my understanding that, as restaurants began resuming normal operations, this industry sector has started to recover and continues to build momentum."

Despite many businesses closing in the cities of Ashland and Wooster in 2020, most quickly reopened with hybrid business models. Instead, of in-person dining, eateries provided curbside pick-up or offered delivery options.

While some businesses permanently closed due to the pandemic, others have weathered the storm and look forward to growth.

Ashland Main Street ExecutiveDirector Sandra Tunnell saidthe city opened some new businesses with a focus on second-story apartments above shops and eateries.

Two buildings remain unoccupied in downtown Ashland after two years of COVID-19. One is under renovationand the second is changing owners, she said.

In Ashland and Wooster, main street organizations noted that remote work affected business by limiting foot traffic.

"Remote work did have a significant impact on Downtown Wooster restaurants and retailers in 2020, but for the most part, their business traffic fully rebounded in 2021," said Shannon Waller, executive director of Main Street Wooster.

Despite office jobs returning to in-person work, remote labor continues to leave office space empty in downtown Wooster, Waller said.

"Our Economic Development Committee plans to give office space vacancies some additional attention in 2022," she said.

Like in Ashland, residential housing demand remains high, Waller said, with many availabledowntown apartments and condos filling fast.

"All of the new downtown businesses that opened during the pandemic continue to thrive, and we anticipate steady, sustainable growth going forward," she said.

The Daily Record writers Rachel Karas and Kevin Lynch contributed to this report.

Reach Bryce by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com

On Twitter: @Bryce_Buyakie

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How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people, businesses and downtowns two years later - Wooster Daily Record