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Masks to be required in all Cuyahoga County-owned buildings starting Wednesday

Mask mandate comes after uptick in COVID cases, hospitalizations
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CLEVELAND — Starting on Wednesday, masks will be required inside all Cuyahoga County buildings, regardless of vaccination status.

COVID-19 cases in Cuyahoga County have been on the rise, as well as hospitalizations.

As of Monday, the county is averaging 366 cases per day, which is above the 200-case threshold to be labeled as high.

The CDC recommends that masks be worn indoors in any community with a high level of spread.

If you go inside a county-owned building, you are asked to wear a mask, keep a distance of at least six feet and allow no more than four people inside 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. The best way to beat COVID is by getting vaccinated, so I encourage residents that are still unvaccinated to get the shot and stay up to date on boosters. This will better protect you, your loved ones, and the community. We will overcome this virus together.”

RELATED: CDC: COVID-19 levels 'high' in Cuyahoga, Lorain, Ashtabula counties

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