Coronavirus: Lakewood Officials Encourage Common-Sense Precaution

LAKEWOOD, OH — Lakewood city officials told residents not to panic in the wake of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, appearing in Cuyahoga County. Instead, officials said, follow common-sense precautions to protect yourself and the people around you.

Namely, residents should wash their hands often, for at least 20 seconds at a time, using soap and water. Avoid close contact with anyone who is sick.

City officials have also ordered any municipal employees who are experiencing respiratory illness, or temperatures over 100 degrees, to stay home. All city departments have also been ordered to use hand sanitizer, cleaning wipes and disinfectant spray on all surface areas, focusing specifically on publicly-accessible surfaces.

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"While there is no reason for panic, the City of Lakewood will continue to closely monitor the situation and take direction from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health and the Center for Disease Control," officials said on the city's website. Additional resources for residents were shared on the city's website.

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Ohio's first confirmed cases of coronavirus, called COVID-19, were announced on Monday. All three infected people live in Cuyahoga County.