CLEVELAND, Ohio — Noting that Cuyahoga County has entered its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish on Wednesday announced a mask advisory for all Cuyahoga County residents, regardless of vaccination status.
The mask advisory strongly urges masking in all indoor areas, when around others, to prevent the increase of COVID-19 cases from spiking even higher, Budish said during a virtual media briefing.
The advisory includes universal masking for all staff and students in schools.
Noting President Joe Biden’s recent COVID-19 vaccine mandate for private employers with more than 100 workers, Budish also said his administration was “looking at possibilities for (a vaccine mandate for) county employees, but keep in mind we have more than 30 unions to discuss this with.”
The county’s new indoor mask advisory follows the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance for an area with substantial or high community spread of COVID-19, the county said. The county rapidly approaching a level of transmission that is four times the threshold identified by the CDC as high transmission, health officials said.
The mask advisory, however, will not be enforced with fines or penalties, Budish said.
Budish did not address in making the announcement why he issued an advisory rather than a mandate. In July 2020, Budish announced his intention for a mandate, which required county council approval. But within days, and before that approval was granted, DeWine issued a statewide mandate. This made the local mandate unnecessary.
The governor earlier this year lifted that order, and the legislature has passed a law limiting the governor’s ability to issue new long-term health orders. Local health departments cannot issue such orders, but local governments can.
A spokeswoman for Budish, when asked as to why he did not issue a mandate, said that it was technically the board of health’s advisory, not his.
“We urge our businesses and municipalities to enforce the use of masks in all buildings, and we urge schools to require masks for all students and staff, so the kids can stay safe and learning in school,” Budish said.
The mask advisory was issued jointly by Budish and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. Previously, county health officials had recommended mask wearing indoors.
“Wearing masks is a small price to pay to protect our children who are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, and to protect our parents and grandparents and other vulnerable people, and to protect the nurses, the doctors and other health care providers, who’ve been risking their lives since day one. We’re doing it for all of them,” he said.
Budish also asked all unvaccinated people to get immunized for COVID-19 to keep schools and workplaces open. About 53% of the population in Cuyahoga County is fully vaccinated, health officials said.
Cuyahoga County Board of Health Commissioner Terry Allan and Cuyahoga County Board of Health director of epidemiology, surveillance and informatics Jana Rush gave these grim statistics about the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cuyahoga County:
- The county is averaging about 300 cases per day. That’s over a 600% increase from July, when the county averaged about 35 cases per day.
- Researchers at local universities predict the area could exceed 1,000 COVID-19 cases per day by early next week, if transmission says at the current level. “These levels would represent our worst days from last winter,” Allan said.
- Area hospitals have reached 80% of their capacity to treat patients. Restrictions on visitation and elective procedures may be coming to allow hospitals to handle the extra volume.
- “Sadly, we’re also bracing for increases in fatalities that follow surges in cases,” Allan said.
- Cases of COVID-19 in schools have continued to rise each week since the beginning of the current school year. The highest case count reported this school year came Wednesday, with 426 cases being reported. The highest number of cases are among ages 16 and 17.
- People with compromised immune systems are eligible to receive an additional dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. Those in this group should contact their doctor to arrange a third dose.
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