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Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson announces end of city's COVID-19 civil emergency

City employees will return to in-person work on June 14, while City Hall will be open to the public starting on July 6.

CLEVELAND — Editor's Note: The above video is from Gov. Mike DeWine's announcement that the Wolstein Center mass vaccination clinic will close June 7

Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson has announced that the city is lifting its Proclamation of Civil Emergency, which had mandated citywide health and safety protocols amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The proclamation had been set to expire on May 31. 

The announcement by Jackson's administration follows the Centers for Disease Control’s newest public health recommendations on masks and Governor Mike DeWine’s recent announcement that most health orders will rescind on June 2. 

According to a release, all city employees will be required to be onsite for work no later than Monday, June 14. City Hall will be open to the public on Tuesday, July 6 with new enhanced security requirements.

“Despite the ongoing decline in new COVID-19 cases, the City will continue to closely monitor COVID-19 data,” said Jackson in a statement. “If new cases, hospitalizations and/or deaths begin to rise, we will revisit the decision to reopen. We must continue to be vigilant and use the measures we know have been effective – get your vaccine, wash your hands and social distance. The pandemic is not over.”

According to the city's release, the number of new COVID-19 cases in Cleveland decreased in the past four reporting weeks but still remains at a high level. In the past two weeks, the Cleveland Department of Public Health reported 795 new COVID-19 cases or 198.5 new cases per 100,000 in the City of Cleveland; and although vaccine availability has increased, the city has seen a sharp decrease in the number of individuals getting vaccinated.

Visitors to City Hall and other city buildings beginning Tuesday, July 6 will experience new or expanded health and safety protocols. All visitors will be badged upon entry, which includes providing information on their destination within the building. Facial coverings are mandatory and all visitors may be subject to temperature screening or self-assessments. Visitors will also see signage throughout the building with health information. Social distancing will be required.

Additional health and safety protocols will include:

    • All visitors must have specific business or an appointment to enter City Hall
    • All visitors will be screened for the purpose of their visit and provide identification badges (i.e., citizen name, photo, destination department, and be color coded)
    • Security will monitor City Hall/Department/Vital Statistics population/occupancy
    • Security will track capacity and roam City Hall and make random security calls and visits
    • Bags will be checked for contraband and weapons prior to entering City Hall
    • All visitors found roaming City Hall will be directed to the correct department or asked to leave
    • All visitors will be required to wear masks while in all areas of City Hall

All city employees must return to their original core-hours, work schedule and physical worksite no later than Monday, June 14. To ensure safe work environments, the city of Cleveland says it will continue following these protocols for all employees:

  • Facial coverings required for all employees
  • Temperature screenings required for all employees prior to beginning their shift or requiring employees to conduct daily health assessments (self-evaluation prior to beginning their shift)
  • Employees required to maintain good health protocols at all times – hand washing, sanitizing, and social distancing
  • Work locations sanitized throughout workday, at the close of business or between shifts
  • Employees provided cleaning products to ensure their personal workspace is clean
  • Ensuring plexiglass barriers are in place where necessary and applicable

In addition, employees will continue to pass through metal detectors and security will conduct random employee ID checks.

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Editor's Note: The below video is from a previously published story

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