CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish held a COVID-19 news conference on Wednesday and provided some encouraging news as numbers continue to decrease.
Budish announced that as a result of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's updated mask guidance, he signed an executive order lifting the mask mandate in Cuyahoga County buildings in most circumstances."This doesn’t mean COVID is gone and the danger is over, but it makes mask wearing voluntary," he stated.
The CDC's guidence is based on the level of spread within each county. Cuyahoga County is currently listed at the “medium” level. Here's what that designation means, according to the CDC's new guidelines:
Budish was joined by Board of Health Medical Director Dr. Heidi Gullett at the press conference.
"We will continue to offer vaccinations, so we would encourage anyone who has not received a booster to consider doing so," said Dr. Gullett. "It's the best way to protect yourself moving forward. And, if you haven't yet been vaccinated, it's not too late, it's your best defense."
Budish also announced that working alongside the state of Ohio, Cuyahoga County obtained $50 million for rental protections. The county has already spent $25 million to help roughly 3,600 households to avoid eviction. Budish added that the county is in the process of allocating another $25 million for rental assistance.
County leaders also took a moment to reflect on the Russian attack against Ukraine. "This vicious attack affects us all. On a broad scale, this is a devastating attack on a sovereign democratic country. Locally, the city of Parma, home to over 42,000 Ukrainians, and Northeast Ohio as a whole, have one of the highest populations of Ukrainians in the country," Budish stated.
Budish encouraged county residents to donate to The Fund to Aid Ukraine, to Ukrainian churches in Parma that are serving as donation sites, and to Cleveland-based non-profit Brook of Hope, which is asking for donations like clothing and non-perishables being collected at Bethany Assembly of God, 6195 Broadview Rd, Parma.
You can watch Wednesday's briefing in the player below:
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