Tag: COVID-19

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Are you a worker? Do you feel #LostInTheSystem?

Workers Lost in the System, Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Cleveland, Ohio, OH, job loss, pandemic, COVID-19, news

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When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ohio in early spring, most residents couldn’t have predicted the economic impact it would have. Like many others, maintenance technician Noah Bowler (name changed to protect client privacy) lost work when the state shut down and immediately applied for unemployment benefits.

Noah’s hopes for relief were dashed when Ohio’s Department of Job and Family Services denied his application, claiming he did not meet the minimum amount of weeks worked to qualify. Noah knew this was not true, yet he felt helpless on his own up against a complicated administrative system. He contacted Legal Aid and a paralegal helped him file an appeal with all of the appropriate documents. The appeal was approved, and Noah now has the financial support to weather the pandemic.

“The Ohio unemployment compensation system was not set-up for the type of volume we’ve seen in 2020,” explained Tom Mlakar, deputy director at The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. “Sadly, so many lives depend today on this safety net. The stability that UC brings helps people remain stable as they anticipate returning to work. UC benefits help pay for rent, food and other basic needs.”

Ohio’s unemployment system, operated by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, has seen unprecedented numbers of applications since the pandemic began. These issues have been further complicated by the complex system of multiple layers of programs being offered right now by both the state and the federal government. Legal Aid is encouraging people who have been waiting for five or more weeks to contact them.

“Our team is poised and ready to stand by the side of people who need help,” Mlakar explained. “Knowledge is power in this uncertain time, and our Legal Aid staff can do important problem-solving work.”

In early April 2020, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland launched a Worker Information Line, for people who were unsure about talking with an attorney and perhaps just needed a question answered. If a caller asks a question that needs legal action, they are immediately referred into Legal Aid’s intake system.

The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland is also available to help anyone who may have been denied benefits. “The appeals process can be intimidating, and sometimes, people can be wrongly denied,” Mlakar said. “Legal Aid can help people through the process of appeals.”

Think you need help? Contact the Worker Information Line or contact Legal Aid for legal help by visiting: https://lasclev.org/contact/.  Online intake is open 24/7 and phone lines are open during most business hours.

Visit www.lasclev.org for more information Legal Aid’s work to extend justice throughout Northeast Ohio.

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Local Media: a Place for Your Interests, Your Perspective, and Your Voice

Neighborhood & Community Media Association of Greater Cleveland

by Rich Weiss and R. T. Andrews

The proliferation of fake news in concept and fact has eroded the most important asset any media outlet has: its readers’ trust.

In February, 2020, along with warning of the impending COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) pandemic, the World Health Organization warned: “The 2019-nCoV outbreak and response has been accompanied by a massive ‘infodemic’ — an overabundance of information – some accurate and some not — that makes it hard for people to find trustworthy sources and reliable guidance when they need it.”

Now, more than ever, informed and engaged communities are essential for a healthy democracy. Not just for conservatives, or liberals, or independents, but across the board.

A Pew Research study conducted from 2016 to 2017 found “Americans express only a moderate trust in most news source types.” That same study revealed an increase in the number of respondents who trust information from their own local news organization. This increase outpaced trust of information from sources of national news, friends, and family.

Continue reading “Local Media: a Place for Your Interests, Your Perspective, and Your Voice”
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Behind the Story of CMSD’s John Marshall Drive-Through Graduation Solution (full mini-documentary)

by The West Park Times & Neighborhood Media Foundation

It is difficult to find an aspect of life that has not changed in the face of the current COVID-19 outbreak.  For that reason, it could have been easy to overlook the one small step Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s (CMSD) John Marshall IT High School graduates took in June—to them, it’s a giant leap for mankind.  After digging deeper, we found it was a giant leap for both CMSD and Toledo Public Schools (TPS), too.

This summer, The West Park Times published a three-part series (funded by the new local media collaborative, “NEO SOJO”) on graduation innovations from Cleveland high schools.

But in an interview with CMSD CEO Eric Gordon just before the graduation ceremony for John Marshall IT, he spoke to the seriousness with which his team took COVID-19 containment planning for Cleveland’s students and their families.

Continue reading “Behind the Story of CMSD’s John Marshall Drive-Through Graduation Solution (full mini-documentary)”
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Serving Meals to Fronline Workers: Q&A with Owner Jenn Wirtz of Der Braumeister

PHOTO SUBMITTED OF JENN WIRTZ DER BRAUMEISTER

PHOTO SUBMITTED

In April, Cleveland restaurant Der Braumeister began serving meals to frontline workers battling against COVID-19. 

The West Park Times reached out to third-generation owner Jenn Wirtz of Der Braumeister to learn more.. 

Q: What does it mean to a frontline worker when they receive a home cooked or quality, comforting meal? Can you go into detail on some of the feedback you received from those workers? 

A: The caregivers working on the front lines of this crisis are working overtime, so thinking about preparing food for their families when they get home is the last thing they would want to deal with. We were able to provide premium comfort food for these hard workers, and their families, during a time they needed it most- and the feedback has been incredible. We’ve received countless voicemails and messages online at how much they’re enjoying our food and how thankful they are to be receiving it. It’s important to note, though, that this paid program wouldn’t be possible had the Clinic not taken the initiative to create it. An official quote from the Clinic regarding the program:

“The program is funded through donations to our COVID-19 Response Fund, which is directed toward caregiver support programs and is part of Cleveland Clinic’s COVID-19 Community Response Campaign. We are inspired by the overwhelming generosity of our donors and are grateful for the positive impact of the program on our caregivers and our community,” says Lara Kalafatis, chair of the Philanthropy Institute at Cleveland Clinic.

Q: What have you learned throughout this experience? How has it changed you as a person and maybe even the way you run your restaurant moving forward? 

A: It is strange to think that all of this has happened in almost three short months but where we were back then and where we are now seems like night and day. Part of the reason we’ve been able to keep our heads above water was our ability to pivot immediately: providing beer/food takeout; buying a new POS system that allows for online ordering; pushing out valuable and relevant content on social (media) to engage and communicate with our customers, etc. I don’t think anyone will come out of this pandemic unchanged, myself included.  We know things aren’t going back to “normal” (for Der Brau) and honestly, I think that’s a good thing. We’ve been around a long time for a reason. But this crisis has inspired me to really challenge our old ways. And we’re tired, we’re stressed, we’re anxious- but at the same time- we’re really hopeful and excited for a refresh. 

Q: What were some challenges you initially faced when trying to start doing this? I imagine there might have been some “learning curve” moments as COVID-19 is a new thing for everybody. Can you discuss some of those challenges and what you did to solve them? 

A: The hardest challenge was, and continues to be, really not knowing what the “right” answers are. Everything about this is unprecedented and no one really knows what to do. We are all making fast decisions based on our gut or our capabilities and that can be really scary. It feels like trying to walk a tightrope with a blindfold on. We are forced to make decisions that we know might not be the most popular or well received, or that might negatively impact people. And we can’t predict how it will impact our future, but we have to keep making those decisions and trust ourselves. 

Q: Do you have any numbers as far as meals per-day or people per-day/month you served?

A: For the Clinic program during the month of May, we were delivering about 1,200 family four-pack meals/week to the surrounding hospitals, so close to serving 20,000 individuals per month. 



Q: How were your interactions with the frontline workers in general? Were they typically trying to ‘stop and take a moment’ from their busy day or did they generally have to rush through their meals and ‘downtime’ activities as well? 

A: There actually wasn’t much interaction at all. We delivered the meals, which were stored in refrigerated trucks outside of the hospital, so the caregivers would stop by the trucks after their shifts to pick up the meals to take home with them. 


Q: Were there other restaurants that you directly worked with or collaborated with when planning to serve frontline workers and/or in executing some sort of a plan? 

A: My mom and I did all of the menu planning ourselves, based on food and product availability. And I made every attempt possible to purchase our products and food from local businesses. We’ve purchased from Ohio City Pasta, Stone Oven Wholesale Bakery, Taste of Europe spice shop, Rainbow Farms, Dohar Meats, Dee Jays Custom Butchering, Reinecker’s Bakery, Czuchraj Meats, Raddell’s sausage… to name a few. 


Q: When can everyone in West Park and beyond expect their beloved Der Brau to open back up!? We love you! What are some things you are considering for Der Brau operations only, (i.e. welcoming patrons back, best practices) moving forward? 

A: We recently made the decision to remain closed to the public through the month of May and June. Here is our official statement:

Dear Friends & Customers, 

We have missed everyone so much over the past few weeks, and we are really looking forward to the day we can see you all again!

After thoughtful consideration we have made the decision to remain closed to the public through the end of May and for the month of June. 

We need to take time to think through how we can best move forward, and adhere to the new safety guidelines while hopefully preserving the best parts of our restaurant that make us who we are. We are looking at this as an opportunity to refresh and renew- and we are confident that when we open back up- we will be stronger- and better- than ever before.

This was a tough decision, but we know it was the right one for us. We’re so happy for our fellow restaurateurs who have taken the time necessary to open back up the right way- and we can’t wait to join them!

We promise to keep you posted on everything we’re doing, and we will continue to support our fellow community and business owners every chance we get. 

In the meantime, raise one for us, and we’ll see you all soon. #Prost.

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Families weigh the risks of sending a loved one to a nursing home during the coronavirus pandemic

Families weigh the risks of sending a loved one to a nursing home during the coronavirus pandemic, Eye on Ohio

By Ginger Christ and Rachel Dissell

Data analysis and graphics by Cid Standifer 

This article provided by Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism. Please join our free mailing list as this helps us provide more public service reporting.  

In early March, just as Ohioans were learning about the first cases of novel coronavirus in the state, Anna Bondar’s grandfather fell at his Cleveland home.

Luckily, the 92-year old, who lives with dementia, wasn’t injured badly.

The tight-knit family started to discuss the possibility of a nursing home, though they had serious reservations.

Their tough choice was made even more difficult by mounting fears about the coronavirus. In nearly four months, COVID-19  has infected more than 31,191 people statewide and has proven particularly deadly for residents of long-term care facilities in Ohio.

Seventy percent of the reported deaths in Ohio due to COVID-19 complications have been in long-term care facilities, which is among the highest in the country. 

Nationally, the portion of COVID-19-related deaths in long-term care facilities has hovered just over 40%, though the amount of testing done in nursing homes varies significantly by state. 

Every day, families like Bondar’s are making what can feel like an impossible choice– whether to send a loved one to a nursing home where they will receive around-the-clock specialized care, but face a greater risk of contracting COVID-19; or to care for that person at home where risk of transmission is lower but providing care can be more challenging. 

Even before the pandemic, sorting through the myriad of quality ratings and measures was daunting enough. Then, COVID-19 deaths started to soar. 

Now, families and seniors agonize over what could be a life or death choice, using confusing numbers on infection “hotspots,” and without the ability to visit nursing homes to observe how the staff there cares for residents– which is the number one recommendation of most advocates. 

State officials, including Dr. Amy Acton, director of the Department of Health, have emphasized that “congregate” settings like nursing homes are at the highest risk for infection. Staff, who often travel between facilities, need to be in close contact with residents to provide care. And residents, who are primarily older and have multiple medical conditions, are more susceptible to COVID-19-related complications. 

“All of this makes it high risk. At the same time, it’s really necessary for many patients to be there,” said Dr. Steven Schwartz, a geriatric physician at the Cleveland Clinic who travels to nursing homes as part of the Clinic’s Center for Connected Care. 

Ohio National Guardmembers will begin testing all staff members and any residents who likely were exposed to COVID-19 in the state’s nursing homes, Gov. Mike DeWine announced May 27. What are being called Congregate Care Unified Response Teams will focus on facilities where confirmed or assumed positive cases are reported in hopes of reducing the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Ohio’s nursing homes, which as of May 27, was 5,324 resident cases and more than 1,442 deaths.  

Map:

https://public.tableau.com/views/Nursinghomecasemap/Dashboard1?:display_count=y&:origin=viz_share_link

Making an educated decision

Last month, state officials began to release the numbers of reported infections and deaths in long-term care facilities, which include nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and assisted living centers. 

But it’s unclear how much the numbers– which are reported weekly and are also tracked cumulatively– matter for families currently trying to choose a facility. 

The state on its coronavirus website says the infection and death numbers shouldn’t replace a thoughtful conversation with a nursing facility about infection control practices and that “residents and family members should understand that the presence of COVID-19 at a facility is [in] no way an indicator of a facility that isn’t following proper procedures.”

Yet many in the health care industry say infection information should be considered along with other factors when deciding which site to choose. 

“If you see a nursing home with a large outbreak, that’s something to worry about. If you see a nursing home with a small outbreak, I’m not sure it means anything but bad luck,” said Dr. James Campbell, department chair of geriatric medicine at MetroHealth. 

The infection information provided by the state can be useful. For instance, if a family is choosing between two similar facilities, said Nate Cyrill, a long-term care ombudsman for Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties. 

Since information on the virus changes rapidly, most families still rely on the quality measures that were available before COVID-19, including existing state and federal online guides Cyril said. 

One of the commonly-used ranking systems maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services assigns ratings from 1 to 5 “stars” to facilities based on performance, quality measures, staffing, and inspections. 

The number of “stars” Ohio’s nursing homes received, however,  does not appear to have a correlation to the number of infections reported to the state, based on a comparison of the publicly available information. The analysis did not include assisted living facilities.

Scatterplot:

https://public.tableau.com/views/Nursinghomecasemap/Casesvstars?:display_count=y&:origin=viz_share_link

“You want to look for a nursing home that’s 4 of 5 stars preferably, but even that doesn’t tell you the whole story,” Steven Schwartz said.

There are numerous 1-star-rated facilities that have reported few infections, like Whetstone Gardens and Care Center in Columbus, which has reported 9 cases or 8 per 100 residents. 

Salem North Healthcare Center in northern Columbiana County had 51 patients test positive for the virus as of May 20, as well as five staff, according to the state. It is rated a 5-star facility, the highest rating from CMS. 

It’s one of four 5-star facilities with an infection rate over 50 cases per 100 residents, based on Medicare’s calculation of each facility’s average number of residents. (The rate does not include infections among staff because the number of staff in each facility was not available).

Since April, the focus on high numbers of reported infections (often referred to as clusters) in long-term care facilities has intensified. In some cases those numbers are a reflection of the level of testing, said Fred Stratmann, general counsel and chief compliance officer for CommuniCare Health Services. It doesn’t mean all of the residents with a positive test had symptoms of COVID-19. The state infection numbers also don’t show the residents who have recovered from the virus, he said.

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Survey finds teens feel financial anxieties because of COVID-19

By Jessie Schoonover 

The process for student lending has not changed. However, the conversation around going to college and borrowing certainly has. 

A recent survey completed by 1,000 of our nation’s teens, between ages 13 and 18 (not currently attending college), found many feel mounting anxieties related to their family’s financial situation, as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. 

Citizens Bank and Junior Achievement USA conducted a survey with Wakefield Research Group, titled “The JA COVID Impact Survey.”

Key findings of this survey indicate the following: 

 

  • More than half of the teens surveyed (57%) are concerned about how COVID-19 will impact their plans for the future.
  • Forty-four percent of high school juniors and seniors say COVID-19 has impacted their plans to pay for college, with a majority of those affected (58%) saying they are now likely to take out student loans to help pay for college.

 

“A lot of what Citizens (Bank) has been about is encouraging families to talk about their finances with their teenage kids in order for them to be prepared for how much money they have to spend for college; how is the family going to be able to afford this and what does it mean from a financial standpoint,” says head of student lending at Citizens Bank, Christine Roberts. 

“What’s very encouraging from this survey is that over 70% of the students that responded said that they are having this conversation with their parents, that they are actively having conversations around the family’s finances— how COVID-19 has affected their family’s finances— and then they are actually taking that and thinking about it in terms of now what does that mean for the next round of decisions that I need to make,” she says. 

Roberts says this can translate to the following: 

  • Do I go to a different school, public vs. private? 
  • Am I going to go someplace that is less expensive but still really good? 
  • Am I going to go closer to home? 
  • Is it better for me to stay close to home to save money and avoid any pandemic issues related to travel in the future? 
  • Do I take a gap year and wait it out since I do not necessarily want to change the school of my choice? 
  • Do I need to take out additional money or more than expected in loans to cover college costs? 

“It is a lot in some ways, but I think it’s great that these families are having these conversations,” Roberts says. 

According to Joe Faulhaber president of Junior Achievement of Greater Cleveland, “our hope was to shed a light on some of the anxieties and challenges these kids have identified, as they think about their next steps in their educational journey. But, also, in the way they think about work and summer jobs and paying for college, and whether or not they go to college right away, if they are a graduating senior, or take a gap year. That was really the crux of it,” he says regarding the survey. 

“In general, really what we’re seeing is a not insignificant amount of teens that are either being relied upon already to financially contribute to their household— and given mass layoffs that we’re seeing in the news every day; our continued negative job outlook for the broader economy overall— teens are being asked and really forced to take on a more active role in the finances in their household.” 

 

*Survey conducted April 2020.

 

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Current coronavirus cases in Ohio

Coronavirus in Ohio increases by 837 in 24 hours, Ohio, Cleveland, Coronavirus

UPDATE:

(FOR CURRENT CORONAVIRUS CASES VISIT: https://westparktimes.com/coronavirus-24-hour-case-updates/

05/16: Today’s 24-hour increase= 487. Today’s total= 25,836. Yesterday’s total= 25,349.


05/15: Today’s 24-hour increase= 549. Today’s total= 25,349. Yesterday’s total= 24,800.

05/14: Today’s 24-hour increase= 555. Today’s total= 24,800. Yesterday’s total= 24,245.

05/13: Today’s 24-hour increase= 436. Today’s total= 24,245. Yesterday’s total= 23,809.

05/12: Today’s 24-hour increase= 409. Today’s total= 23,809. Yesterday’s total= 23,400.

05/11: Today’s 24-hour increase= 509. Today’s total= 23,400. Yesterday’s total= 22,891.

05/10: Today’s 24-hour increase= 331. Today’s total= 22,891. Yesterday’s total= 22,560.

05/09: Today’s 24-hour increase= 591. Today’s total= 22,560. Yesterday’s total= 21,969.

05/08: Today’s 24-hour increase= 837. Today’s total= 21,969. Yesterday’s total= 21,132.

05/07: Today’s 24-hour increase= 507. Today’s total= 21,132. Yesterday’s total= 20,625.

05/06: Today’s 24-hour increase= 553. Today’s total= 20,625. Yesterday’s total= 20,072.

5/05: Today’s 24-hour increase= 463. Today’s total= 20,072. Yesterday’s total= 19,609.

5/04: Today’s 24-hour increase= 515. Today’s total= 19,609. Yesterday’s total= 19,094.

5/03: Today’s 24-hour increase= 557. Today’s total= 19,094. Yesterday’s total= 18,537.

5/02: Today’s 24-hour increase= 575. Today’s total= 18,537. Yesterday’s total= 17,962.

5/01: Today’s 24-hour increase= 677. Today’s total= 17,962. Yesterday’s total= 17,285.

4/30: Today’s 24-hour increase= 684. Today’s total= 17,285. Yesterday’s total= 16,601.

4/29: Today’s 24-hour increase= 473. Today’s total= 16,601. Yesterday’s total= 16,128.

4/28: Today’s 24-hour increase= 429. Today’s total= 16,128. Yesterday’s total= 15,699.

4/27:Today’s 24-hour increase= 339. Today’s total= 15,699. Yesterday’s total= 15,360.

4/26: Today’s 24-hour increase= 377. Today’s total= 15,360. Yesterday’s total= 14,983.

4/25: Today’s 24-hour increase= 402. Today’s total= 14,983 . Yesterday’s total= 14,581.

4/24: Today’s 24-hour increase= 439. Today’s total= 14,581 . Yesterday’s total= 14,142.

4/23: Today’s 24-hour increase= 533. Today’s total= 14,142 . Yesterday’s total= 13,609.

4/22: Today’s 24-hour increase= 359. Today’s total= 13,609 . Yesterday’s total= 13,250.

4/21: Today’s 24-hour increase= 734. Today’s total= 13,250 . Yesterday’s total= 12,516.

4/20: Today’s 24-hour increase= 1,224. Today’s total= 12,516. Yesterday’s total= 11,292.

4/19: Today’s 24-hour increase= 1,353 Today’s total= 11,292. Yesterday’s total= 9,939.

4/18: Today’s 24-hour increase= 1,081 Today’s total= 9,939. Yesterday’s total= 8,858.

4/17: Today’s 24-hour increase= 619. Today’s total= 8,858. Yesterday’s total= 8,239.

4/16: Today’s 24-hour increase= 611. Today’s total= 8,239. Yesterday’s total= 7,628.

4/15: Today’s 24-hour increase= 475. Today’s total= 7,628. Yesterday’s total= 7,153.

4/14: Today’s 24-hour increase= 272. Today’s total= 7,153. Yesterday’s total= 6,881.

4/13: Today’s 24-hour increase= 363. Today’s total= 6,881. Yesterday’s total= 6,518.

4/12: Today’s 24-hour increase= 331. Today’s total= 6,518. Yesterday’s total= 6,187.

4/11:Today’s 24-hour increase= 351. Today’s total=6,187. Yesterday’s total= 5,836.

4/10: Today’s 24-hour increase= 324. Today’s total=5,836. Yesterday’s total= 5,512.

4/9: Today’s 24-hour increase= 364. Today’s total=5,512. Yesterday’s total= 5,148.

4/8: Today’s 24-hour increase= 366. Today’s total= 5,148. Yesterday’s total= 4,782.

4/7: Today’s daily increase for #Ohio is 332 confirmed cases. This is up from 4,450 reported yesterday, for a total of 4,782 cases.

4/6: Today’s 24-hour increase is 407; numbers of coronavirus cases in Ohio have increased from 4,043 to 4,450.

4/5: Since yesterday, #coronavirus cases in Ohio have increased by 304; from 3,739 to 4,043.

4/4: Confirmed #coronavirus cases in Ohio have jumped to 3,739, according to numbers released by the Ohio Department of Health.

4/3: Since last reported on March 31, the total #Coronavirus count for #Ohio has risen to 2,902, according to information released by the Ohio Department of Health. The average daily rate of infection is on the rise statewide. (Avg. 323 per-day).

3/31: In 12 days, the total #Coronavirus count for those in #Ohio has risen from 119 to 1933. That means there are an average of 151 new cases developing throughout the state, per day. In retrospect, states like New York are reporting increases per-day by the thousands.
If you have a story to share concerning how the virus has impacted you, email the West Park Times​ at westparktimes@gmail.com, or feel free to send us a direct message.

*All data extracted from the Ohio Department of Health.

If you currently live in the West Park neighborhood of Cleveland, OH, we’d love for you to contact us. Tell us how you’re making it through the coronavirus, closures, and more by emailing westparktimes@gmail.com.

Whether your wedding has been cancelled or you are temporarily out of work, your story matters and we want to hear it from you!

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2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Induction Week postponed, facility temporary closed to public

2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony 2020 Postponed Cleveland, OH, Coronavirus Cancellations

Pixabay Photo

As of March 13, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is temporarily closed to the public.

The 2020 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Induction Week festivities have also been postponed until later this year, at a date that is to be determined.

According to the Rock Hall’s web site:

“Given this temporary closure, we have postponed the following events:

  • Wednesday, March 18 – Spotlight: Janis Joplin
  • Wednesday, March 25 – Film Series: Linda Ronstadt

If you have purchased a ticket for a postponed event, we will issue a full refund and alert you via email of the opportunity to purchase when the event is rescheduled.  If you have purchased a ticket for general admission, it will be honored at our Box Office upon your future visit or refunded.

We look forward to welcoming fans back to our Museum in the near future.

Meanwhile, we encourage teachers working to create plans for distance learning to explore our free online resources that help you engage students through the power of rock & roll.  Visit Rock Hall EDU (edu.rockhall.com), our new digital learning platform, to create a free account and access professionally developed lesson plans, activities, presentations, videos, playlists and other digitized primary source materials from our Library & Archives.  Our resources meet national and state learning standards in a variety of subject areas, including music, social studies, English and more.”

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Voters urged to vote early, by mail due to polling location closures

CONTENT SUBMITTED

The following is a statement by Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish and County Council President Dan Brady regarding the need to close some polling locations amidst coronavirus concerns

March 11, 2020―  “We fully understand the State’s desire to relocate polling locations that were to be based in residential senior citizen facilities. It is a prudent and necessary precaution, and the health and safety of our community must come first. At the same time, this may create voting obstacles for tens of thousands of County residents who use those polling locations.  

“We fully understand the State’s desire to relocate polling locations that were to be based in residential senior citizen facilities. It is a prudent and necessary precaution, and the health and safety of our community must come first. At the same time, this may create voting obstacles for tens of thousands of County residents who use those polling locations.  

 VOTE EARLY or VOTE BY MAIL. The deadline for voters to request mail-in ballots is noon on Saturday, March 14. If you would like to vote by mail, please go  to boe.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/VoteByMail.aspx.  You can mail in your ballot or drop it off by 7:30 p.m. on election day. The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections will be accepting curbside drop-off of ballots on election day at the back of their offices at 2925 Euclid Avenue.Registered voters may also vote early, in person, at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.”

Dates and times for early voting are:

Wednesday, March 118 AM–7 PM
Thursday, March 128 AM–7 PM
Friday, March 138 AM–7 PM
Saturday, March 148 AM–4 PM
Sunday, March 151 PM–5 PM
Monday, March 168 AM–2 PM

Here is the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections link to full details about polling changes and a list of impacted locations: https://boe.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/locationchangemarch2020.aspx