CLEVELAND — Officials from the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals will hold a news conference at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday to discuss the rapid surge of COVID-19 cases in the Cleveland area.
According to Ohio Department of Health statistics, Cuyahoga County has seen a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases in the last few weeks. More than 3,000 cases were recorded on Dec. 16 for the first time during the pandemic within the county, according to ODH figures.
Graphic: Ohio Department of Health
The New York Times, which tracks county-level data, shows that Cuyahoga County had the third-highest per capita COVID-19 case rate with an average of 2,456 daily cases per 100,000 residents. The county also has the fourth-highest overall number of cases, only behind New York City, Cook County, Illinois and Los Angeles, California, which are much more populous areas.
In response to a rise in cases, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine deployed 1,050 members of the National Guard to provide support for hospitals and local health officials. In the Cleveland area, members of the National Guard will help support a COVID-19 drive-thru testing site located in the garage of the W. O. Walker Building in University Circle.
Some area hospitals have also postponed elective surgeries.
The news conference will air live on Spectrum News 1 and on the Spectrum News App for those in the Cleveland area.
