CINCINNATI — City Hall will be closed to the public for several weeks while crews install air purifiers and separators, Mayor John Cranley said.
Speaking in a virtual press conference with medical professionals on Friday, Cranley said the decision to close City Hall comes as COVID-19 cases rise at an astronomical rate.
The move comes as Thanksgiving draws near. Cranley said he’s worried people will disregard warnings from health officials and come into close contact with others who do not live in their household.
“January and February are going to be colder and worse than what it is now,” Cranley said. “I predict that things will get worse before they get better.”
Cranley said he will be working from home when he can, and he urged employers to move their employees to remote work if possible.
THREAD: Effective Monday November 16,2020, to ensure safety of the public and our city employees, we will revert back to the safety protocols that we implemented in March. This includes closing City Hall to the public and working remote when possible.
— John Cranley (@JohnCranley) November 13, 2020
Hamilton County on Wednesday recorded an increase of more than 4,000 COVID-19 cases in a one-week period, Hamilton County Commissioner Denise Driehaus said.
Hospitalizations in the region have skyrocketed. There were 25 people in the Intensive Care Unit in early October. As of Thursday, 90 people were in the ICU, Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Kesterman said.
