Coronavirus in Cuyahoga County: 1,577 Cases, 55 Deaths

CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OH — The Ohio Department of Health confirms that Cuyahoga County has seen 1,577 cases of the cornavirus and 55 deaths due to the virus as of Monday, April 20.

Of the patients with the virus, 443, more than 28 percent, have had to be hospitalized for treatment.

The news makes Cuyahoga the county with the second highest number of coronavirus cases, above Franklin's 1,510 patients but significantly below the 2,073 cases in Marion County. Cuyahoga has seen the most deaths, followed by Mahoning County which has seen 50 people die.

Statewide, Ohio saw a total of total of 12,516 cases and 491 deaths due to the coronavirus, an increase of more than 1,200 cases and 40 deaths over Sunday.

An additional 18 deaths likely caused by the virus are still under investigation, as are 403 illnesses that are probably due to the virus but not confirmed.

Statewide about one-in-five coronavirus patients requires hospitalization.

The state does note that any data from the last two weeks is subject to change and should be considered preliminary data because it can take some time to double-check and confirm every case.

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K-12 students will not return to class this school year

During his daily coronavirus conference Monday, Gov. Mike DeWine announced that public schools will not be returning to class at least for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. Instead, lessons will continue remotely through to summer and possibly even when classes resume in fall. On twitter, DeWine extended his condolences to the students who will miss out because of the closures.

The plan for the upcoming fall semester will be determined depending upon how well the virus is contained. "We've made no decision about the fall yet, we'll have to see where we're going" said DeWine.

Read more: Ohio K-12 Students Will Not Return To Class This School Year

County pledges $2 million for PPE, still accepting donations

Monday Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish announced a $2 million pledge to buy personal protective equipment, or PPE, for local health care workers as they battle the coronavirus.

Cuyahoga officials have already distributed over 325,299 pieces of PPE to local healthcare workers, but says they still need all the donations they can get.

Read more: Cuyahoga County Executive Pledges $2M For PPE

Nearly a quarter of coronavirus patients are inmates

Almost 25 percent of coronavirus cases in Ohio state are inmates, thanks in part to a widespread outbreak at Marion Correctional Facility.

Data released Sunday found that of the roughly 2,500 inmates at Marion Correctional Facility, 1,828 have tested positive for the coronavirus. Across the state, 2,400 total inmates have tested positive and six have died.

Read more: Inmates Make Up Nearly A Quarter Of Ohio's Coronavirus Cases

A new way to track the virus' spread

Ohio has launched a new online dashboard which residents can use to track the spread of the coronavirus through the state. The dashboard allows users to see the number of cases in each county, growth trends, deaths, hospitalizations and more.

Gov. Mike DeWine says this is both the broadest and most granular data ever made available on infectious diseases in the state, and it should be helpful for residents who want to perform their own analysis of the virus' spread.

Read more: Ohio Launches Online Coronavirus Tracking Map

Cluster of cases at Salvation Army complex, county investigating

The Cuyahoga County Board of Health is investigating a series of coronavirus cases at the Salvation Army's Harbor Light Complex. According to reports 11 people, five staff members and six residents, have tested positive for the coronavirus. The six residents are now being quarantined to a different part of the building in the hopes of preventing any more infections.

Now the board of health is stepping in to check to see if anyone else has caught the virus.

Between the community corrections programs and the shelters, around 450 people are staying at the center currently, and as many as 1,500 people visit the complex for alcohol and addiction services each year.

Read more: County Investigating Coronavirus Cases At Harbor Light Complex