How North Texas funeral homes adapted during COVID, the pandemic’s economic hangover

Plus, DISD superintendent says too few schools opt for extended year to battle “COVID-slide”  03/20/2021 [🔎 Prefer the online view? It's here.](  Good morning. I'm Carla Solórzano and here's a roundup of this week's developments about the coronavirus pandemic from North Texas and across the world. STAY UP TO DATE Here are 5 things you may have missed this week, plus a silver lining.  "We’re all exhausted," says funeral home director Rick Jaynes, with wife Laura at Jaynes Memorial Chapel in Duncanville. "All of our vendors, the gravediggers, the cemetery staff." (Lola Gomez/Staff Photographer) 1 [‘The deaths don’t stop’: How North Texas funeral homes adapted during COVID]( Like so much else in life, the coronavirus pandemic upended the business of dying. Funeral directors — who at their best are a guide for the grieving — [have had to rethink everything to help families say goodbye](. Doctors, nurses, grocery store clerks and delivery drivers have been among the most celebrated heroes of the global pandemic — and deservingly so. These essential workers, sometimes called first responders, have now worked in high-risk environments for more than a year with little rest.  2 [How health workers and abuelitas can help Dallas County with COVID-19 vaccine myth-busting]( From the editorial board: Many of us are so eager to get our COVID-19 shots that we can’t fathom why anyone wouldn’t jump at the chance to get vaccinated. But even among those most vulnerable to severe illness and death from the disease, [fears about inoculation are common and persistent](. Just ask a clinic doctor or a community health worker. The concerns and misconceptions swirling in Vickery Meadow are also percolating in other communities around Dallas County, which is why we decried a decision by a majority of the Commissioners Court last month to delay a public awareness campaign about the vaccine. Thankfully, county leaders reversed course and approved an extension to the marketing contract.  3 [Pandemic hangover? 10-year job growth trimmed due to effects on remote work, office space and business travel]( COVID-19 cases are declining and millions are getting vaccines, but the pandemic’s economic hangover may persist for years. That’s among the implications of a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which downgraded many 10-year job growth projections because [the pandemic could permanently alter the behavior of consumers and employers](.  4 [1 year later: Did COVID-19 cause as many restaurant closures in North Texas as expected?]( The Texas Restaurant Association estimates that 2,500 restaurants in North Texas closed because of pandemic challenges. Restaurant closures included the 95-year-old Highland Park Cafeteria and the iconic Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck at the top of Reunion Tower. [But restaurants across North Texas fared better than forecasted](.  5 [Too few Dallas schools opt for extended year to battle ‘COVID-slide,’ superintendent says]( Only one-fifth of Dallas’ elementary and middle schools will extend their school year to tackle learning loss triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. DISD officials surveyed teachers, support staff and parents over the past month at campuses in 18 feeder patterns, asking whether they would be open to a drastically different calendar beyond the district’s normal 175-day schedule. Of the nearly 100 schools surveyed, 41 schools agreed to take part in one of two options; seven campuses were still awaiting final decisions heading into spring break. While acknowledging that the additional days were just one part of the district’s overall effort to address learning gaps, [Superintendent Michael Hinojosa expressed disappointment in the number of schools participating in the calendar changes](.  [MORE COVID-19 COVERAGE](  [Fashionable comeback: A stroke survivor turned to sewing to reinvent herself]( At first, Nia Kelley couldn’t drive or speak well. She was picked up by Pate Rehabilitation’s van five days a week. "Nia is very driven," Kelly's partner, Jasen Jester says. "She had to relearn the alphabet, vowels and pronunciation. It was like teaching a child how to read." As Kelley worked diligently at Pate, her future mother-in-law, Delphea Jester, had an idea. An accomplished seamstress, the elder Jester had given the couple a sewing machine when they moved into their Plano townhome. After the stroke, she suggested that Kelley try sewing to help with her hand-eye coordination. [It took](.   COVID-19 D-FW RESOURCES  📍See every coronavirus case in Texas, county by county, on our [interactive map](. 🗂️ We've compiled [an all inclusive resource guide]( to help you stay prepared, plus all of our coronavirus tips. 🚧  [View the updated list of what is and isn't operating normally]( in your neighborhood. 🔎 Since information is the first line of defense, we're asking our readers: [What do you want to know about the coronavirus outbreak in Texas?]( Our Curious Texas reporters will track down the answers for you. 🎟️ Here are some [things to do and virtual events]( attend]( while you're at home. Also, these are the [D-FW restaurants open for take-out and delivery](.   ADVERTISEMENT Looking for more coverage? [Read the latest]( on how the virus is affecting North Texas and beyond. Was this email forwarded to you? 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