CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish held a briefing Wednesday afternoon with the latest on the response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Budish was joined by the following health leaders:
- Cuyahoga County Board of Health Commissioner Terry Allan MPH
- Cuyahoga County Board of Health Deputy Director of Prevention and Wellness Romona Brazile BA, RN
- University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children's Director of Pediatric Infection Control and Innovation Dr. Claudia Hoyen MD
Budish spoke mostly about assistance for renters, who have been hit hard by lost incomes during the pandemic. Among several programs announced, the executive wants to offer more housing vouchers to low income families, as well as legislation that would make it illegal to discriminate against tenants based on source of income.
"A plan like this could support housing choice for an estimated 1,400 families over a 3-year period. The impact could be significant," Budish said. "We still have more work to do on this, so more information will be available on this in the coming months."
The briefing came amid some important headlines around the nation and the state. On Tuesday, an FDA panel unanimously to endorse Pfizer's shots for children aged 5-11. The FDA isn’t bound by the panel’s recommendation and is expected to make its own decision within days. If the FDA concurs, there’s still another step: Next week, the CDC will have to decide whether to recommend the shots and which youngsters should get them.
Earlier this week, the state of Ohio updated its quarantine guidance for schools when it comes to COVID-19 exposure with the goal of keeping more students in the classroom. The changes incorporate mask wearing and testing to reduce the chance of spread of COVID-19 and to provide a safe alternative to out-of-school quarantine.
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