COVID-19 cases spiral upward in the City of Cleveland

(Plain Press, August 2020)            The number of confirmed or probable Corona Virus (COVID-19) cases in the City of Cleveland increased dramatically in early July with 800 new cases in the first 12 days of July. In all of June, the City of Cleveland had 800 new cases.

The City of Cleveland records its cases separately from Cuyahoga County. The dramatic growth of new corona virus (COVID-19) cases in Cleveland in July is evidenced by the tracking of total case numbers reported on the City of Cleveland website: 117 confirmed and probable cases at the end of March; 693 cases at the end of April; 1,600 cases at the end of May; 2,400 cases at the end of June; and 3,200 cases as of July 12^th. On July 23^rd, the City of Cleveland reported 3,871 confirmed and probable cases.

In a July 14^th, telephone town hall, Mayor Frank Jackson said in the previous week there were more than one hundred new confirmed cases of COVID -19 in Cleveland on three separate days. Jackson said the age grouping with the most newly confirmed cases was for those 20-29 years old. The second highest rate of newly confirmed cases was for the age group 30 – 39 years of age.

Mayor Frank Jackson said the City of Cleveland, in an effort to slow the spread of the pandemic, would be targeting its resources to the areas of greatest potential to spread the coronavirus. He said this involves large indoor gatherings where people are in close proximity. He said his administration would be meeting with owners of large bars, restaurants and night clubs and put them on notice that the City of Cleveland would be enforcing occupancy levels for their establishments.

The City of Cleveland has a map on its website with zip codes coded by color. The three zip codes in the City of Cleveland with the highest levels of confirmed cases (code red with 304-385 confirmed cases) were zip codes 44102, 44113 and 44105. Two of those zip codes are in the Plain Press service area – zip codes 44102 and 44113.