Masks again required in all Cuyahoga County buildings

County Executive Armond Budish signed an executive order requiring masks be worn in all Cuyahoga County government buildings, regardless of vaccination status, effective June 1.

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. The COVID-19 community level is determined by three indicators: new COVID-19 hospital admissions per 100,000 population in the last seven days; percent of staffed inpatient beds occupied by patients with confirmed COVID-19 (7-day average); and new COVID-19 cases per 100,00 population in the last seven days.

Cuyahoga County has an average of 366 cases per day, reported as of May 30, 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 6 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.” ∞