CLEVELAND — On Monday, the state reported 1,312 new cases of COVID in a 24 hour period, the smallest daily increase in more than six months. As cases continue to remain low in Northeast Ohio, Cleveland is gearing up for NBA All-Star weekend, a series of events expected to draw crowds, including celebrities, from across the country to Cleveland.
The event comes as Cleveland has overcome the worst of the omicron surge, with some people beginning to return to a more normal day-to-day life and activities. But is it too soon to be letting our guard down?
According to Dr. Amy Edwards, an infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s, “a lot of it depends on where you are and what you’re doing.”
“People who are vaccinated and boosted and who have low-risk family members I think probably should be returning to some normal activities and things like that, especially if your friends and family members are all vaccinated and we’re all relatively protected,” she said. “Now that the worst of the surge is over and hospital space is opening up and things like that, I think returning somewhat to normal is appropriate.”
Dr. Edwards recommended continued mask-wearing in order to protect those who are more at risk, such as those who are immunocompromised. She also recommended avoiding large indoor events.
However, she said in some spaces, like something outdoors, or a small gathering of fully vaccinated friends at home, being unmasked may not be as high-risk activity at this particular time given the current case count.
“There’s a lot of very safe activities that we can do, especially those of us who are vaccinated and boosted, with very little fear of getting COVID, especially if we’re medically low risk,” Dr. Edwards said.
Dr. Joseph Khabbaza, a pulmonary and critical care physician at the Cleveland Clinic, suggested modifying the precautions we take based on what’s happening around us.
“It all comes back down to your own personal level of risk tolerance and what are your personal risk factors for severe illness?” he asked. “And then with that extra part, factoring in are there vulnerable people in your life that we have to think or worry about?”
Dr. Khabbaza said if you are vaccinated and/or have already contracted the virus, you can feel more confident living your daily life with fewer precautions now than you would in the middle of the surge.
“If you did have a breakthrough infection, your risks of getting one are far lower when there’s less virus in the community,” he said. “But also if you have a lot of prior immunity, you’re unlikely to get very sick. That’s why then you have to think about the people around you in your bubble.”
When it comes to visitors from across the country coming into Cleveland for All-Star Weekend, Dr. Edwards said she is slightly worried about the potential of a small bump in cases given Northeast Ohio’s position of being past the omicron surge.
As far as going out and about during the weekend’s events, Dr. Khabbaza said once again, it all comes back to the level of risk that you’re willing to take, and who you’re going to be around in the following days.
However, he did note that through vaccination and the number of people who have contracted the virus recently, he believes there is a lot of “recent immunity built up.”
“If you’re going to be around vulnerable family members or if you live with them, [it] may not be the best time to be out at crowded places with people coming in from all over the country,” he said. “I think what’s good though is that the omicron descent is coming down fast everywhere. So wherever people are coming from, cases are getting lower.”
In a statement, the Cuyahoga County Board of Health encouraged continued precautions such as mask-wearing and warned of the possible spread of illness in large crowds.
"While much of the recent data looks promising in terms of cases, hospitalizations and positivity rates decreasing, the pandemic is not over. We must continue to exercise caution and take all of the necessary steps to reduce transmission. Our agency recommends sticking with the non-pharmaceutical interventions that we have all become accustomed to during the pandemic such as mask wearing, social distancing, frequent handwashing and regular cleaning and disinfection of high-touch surfaces. Pairing these measures with vaccination offers the greatest level of protection against not only covid, but also flu, colds and other communicable illnesses.
Large crowds, such as those we will see this weekend for the NBA All-Star Game, are conducive to the spread of illness. The more people you come in contract with, the more opportunities you have to become ill. We urge everyone who is attending the All-Star events to maintain proper social distance, wear masks and avoid prolonged contact with people outside of your family or household."
In a press conference in January, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb said for the weekend, Cleveland would become the “center of the basketball universe.” He also shared COVID-19 protocols for the events.
“While we are excited to host this global event, the health and safety of everyone connected to NBA All-Star 2022 in Cleveland is a top priority for my administration, because we want to ensure that everyone involved has the best experience possible in addition to avoiding any unnecessary strain on our local health systems,” Mayor Bibb said.
Bibb also said that before participating in ticketed events, all guests five years old and up would have to show proof of being fully vaccinated, or proof of having a negative COVID-19 test, in the form of a PCR test 48 hours before the first event, or an antigen test the day of the event.
For more information on those COVID protocols for the NBA All-Star Weekend, click here.
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