CLEVELAND — Masks will not be required in county buildings in Cuyahoga County in most circumstances, officials announced Wednesday.
What You Need To Know
- Cuyahoga County relaxed a mandate for county buildings
- The move is a response to new guidance from the CDC
- Pastors are calling for a day of remembrance on March 15
Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish said he signed an executive order to relax the restriction in response to new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Their metrics classify Cuyahoga County to be at a medium level. With that classification, masks are no longer required in indoor spaces,” Budish said during a media briefing. “It doesn't mean that COVID is gone by any means and doesn't mean the danger is over, but it makes mask wearing voluntary.”
Cuyahoga County Board of Health Medical Director Dr. Heidi Gullett said health officials are pleased by the recent improvements with all major COVID-19 metrics for the region. The positivity rate in the county has dropped below 3%, she said.
“We've moved out of this very difficult time we had over the last few months,” she said.
Gullett said 68% of the county is vaccinated, which is one of the highest rates in Ohio, but she noted that only about 34% of residents have gotten a booster dose.
“We want to have our lives back and enjoy the things we always have, but we still have to remain vigilant particularly if we don't have a high number of people who've had a booster vaccination, and we still have a little over a third of our population that hasn't had any vaccine,” she said.
Gullett encouraged residents to consider their individual situations and risk levels of the virus, stating that there shouldn’t be any stigma if someone wants to wear a mask.
During the media briefing, Budish also announced that the county has obtained an additional $50 million for rental protections.
“One of the biggest repercussions from the pandemic has been that many people lost jobs and couldn't pay their rent. Already, we've spent $25 million to help roughly 3,600 households to avoid eviction, and we're in the process of allocating another $25 million,” he said.
The new funding makes for a total of more than $100 million in rental assistance and “wraparound supports," he said.
On Tuesday, several pastors in northeast Ohio announced they are calling for March 15 to be a COVID-19 "day of remembrance."
Pastor Larry Macon Sr., president of the United Pastors in Mission of Greater Cleveland, said they are asking mayors to make a public proclamation for a day of remembrance in honor of the residents who have died of COVID-19.
“Many in this region have not completed the cycle of grief, so we are calling for a day of remembrance,” Macon said.
On March 15, the faith leaders are asking all religious institutions to open their doors at 12 p.m. for prayer with candles. At 6 p.m., they are asking for a moment of silence for one minute in homes, churches, businesses, schools and hospitals.
At 7 p.m., there will be a collective service at the Cleveland Music Hall “to help families that are grieving and to grieve with them, and to show that not only do we grieve, but we also come back, and that we are a resilient city,” Macon said.