CLEVELAND — On Thursday night, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson held a special "Tele Town Hall" conversation about COVID-19, public safety, and more.
Jackson's conversation with constituents comes at a time when Cleveland is facing the biggest number of COVID-19 cases since the pandemic began. Cleveland officials say there were 509 confirmed cases of coronavirus for November 16 and 17. The "unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases” limited the ability of local health leaders to report new COVID-19 data Monday night.
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Jackson joined Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish on Wednesday for a joint announcement about the county's stay-at-home advisory that will last through Dec. 17.
"These are basic rules," Jackson explained when he was asked about the advisory and the state's upcoming curfew. "Stay at home unless you have to go out. And if you do have to go out, wear a mask, observe social distancing, and wash your hands throughout the day."
Meanwhile, the city reported 10 shooting incidents that took place last weekend, including six new homicides. Among the shootings reported was an incident involving an 18-year-old being fatally shot by a CMHA officer on Friday. Also, a Cleveland police officer was wounded in the arm in Slavic Village during the early morning hours of Sunday.
Jackson referred to the rising of gun violence as "another pandemic" in the city. There have been 159 homicides in the city as of November 19. There were 109 in Cleveland at this time a year ago.
"Our administration has tried to do some things on the prevention side," Jackson said when discussing the growth of violent crime in the city. "We've put trauma coaches into rec centers, we've made gun violence a public health issue."
Jackson added that his administration is looking to try to prevent the trafficking of guns coming into the community that winds up into hands of those who commit violent crimes.
You can listen to Jackson's 'Tele Town Hall' in the player below:
