Contacts:
Joint Information Center: JIC@cuyahogacounty.us; 216-443-5245


CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH —Today the Cuyahoga County Board of Health held their media briefing regarding COVID-19 at their offices at 5550 Venture Drive, Parma, Ohio 44130 at 8:45 a.m. The next briefing will take place Wednesday, March 25 at 8:45 a.m. The briefings will continue until the COVID-19 situation no longer merits regular messaging.

Below are points discussed by Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish, Board of Health Commissioner Terry Allan and Board of Health Medical Director, Dr. Heidi Gullett:

Stay at Home Order:

• Governor DeWine has issued a stay at home order effective at 11:59 p.m. on March 23rd through April 6th. Only essential businesses are permitted to stay open and residents should stay in their homes. Leaving the home is permitted for health and safety activities, necessary supplies and services, outdoor activity, certain types of work, and to take care of others.
• The stay at home order is designed to limit the spread of the virus and protect people’s safety and to save lives.

Cases:

• As of this morning, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cuyahoga County, excluding the City of Cleveland, is 99. The date of onset ranges from February 29-March 19. There is 1 death in Cuyahoga County to date.
• No information on the names or locations of the individuals who test positive will be released to protect their health information.

Testing:

• Testing in Cuyahoga County is focused on those who are hospitalized.
• Testing for COVID-19 is done to clinically manage persons with the disease, to control the risk of spread and to understand the spread of the disease in the community so we can flatten the curve.

Small Business Support:

• The County is working with all its small businesses lending partners to provide additional support to small businesses.
• County Executive Armond Budish has created a small business task force to develop ways to further support small businesses in this time of crisis.
• The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA): The SBA provides low-interest disaster loans to businesses of all sizes. For more information, visit: https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela/Information/Index 

Unemployment Support:

• Ohio Means Jobs Cleveland-Cuyahoga County (OMJCC): Ohio Means Jobs Cleveland-Cuyahoga County is a collaborative workforce system of the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County that helps local employers meet their human capital needs and assists job seekers to find success. To learn more about unemployment support and/or career advancement services visit OMJCC’s website at: https://omjcc.us/.
• Unemployment Insurance: To apply for unemployment insurance, go to:
  https://unemployment.ohio.gov/.
• Standard County Benefits: To check eligibility or apply for Medicaid, SNAP, or TANF, visit: https://benefits.ohio.gov/.
• Call United Way at 2-1-1 for questions about applying for benefits.

For more information from the Board of Health, visit https://www.ccbh.net/.

For information from the CDC, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html.

For information from the Ohio Department of Health, visit https://coronavirus.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/covid-19/ or call 1-833-4-ASKODH.