(Cleveland) - Because the Centers for Disease Control has now identified Cuyahoga County as having a "high" community level of COVID-19 based on cases and hospitalization, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish has signed an executive order requiring face masks to be worn in all County government buildings, effective Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
This is the statement from Budish:
"County Executive Armond Budish has signed an Executive Order requiring masks be worn in all Cuyahoga County government buildings, regardless of vaccination status, effective Wednesday, June 1, 2022.
"Cuyahoga County has been identified as having a “high” community level of COVID-19 based on cases and hospitalizations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The COVID-19 community level is determined by three indicators: (1) new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 population in the last 7 days; (2) percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average); and (3) new COVID-19 cases per 100,00 population in the last 7 days. Cuyahoga County has an average of 366 cases per day, reported as of May 30th, which is above the 200-case threshold to be labeled as having a “high” community level of COVID-19. Therefore, the CDC recommends wearing a mask indoors.
"Visitors and employees are asked to wear face coverings while in a County-owned building, keep a distance of at least six feet apart from others, and allow no more than four people in an elevator at a time.
“COVID-19 cases are increasing again in Cuyahoga County, and we do not want to get back to where we were in December of last year,” said County Executive Armond Budish. “I know nobody wants to go back to mask mandates, but this executive order is a necessary measure to help keep both visitors to our buildings and our employees better protected against the virus. The best way to beat COVID is by getting vaccinated, so I encourage residents that are still unvaccinated to get the shot and stay up to date on boosters. This will better protect you, your loved ones, and the community. We will overcome this virus together.”
A separate order was issued by Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, and the county's Court of Appeals. The following is a statement from Administrative and Presiding Judge Brendan Sheehan:
“Though I am disappointed that we have returned to a High community level so soon, I know that we are taking the best action to keep ourselves as healthy as possible. I appreciate your ongoing observation to these best practices. As a Court, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have always followed the science. Health experts in our own community and internationally agree that masking works to decrease the transmission of the COVID-19 virus and that vaccination decreases the severity of the virus. Both are necessary to minimize the impact of COVID-19 in our community.”
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