City of Cleveland Declares State of Emergency After Coronavirus (COVID-19) Death, Positive Cases

The City of Cleveland has declared a state of emergency after being hit hard by COVID-19.

The city says three people in the town of 3,500 have tested positive for the virus, including a man in his 50s who died over the weekend.

On Monday evening the city took action to try and stop the spread of the virus with an emergency order.

The city has ordered salons, bars and gyms to close, while restaurants can now only offer curbside, take-out, drive-thru or delivery services.

Mayor Scott Rusher said it’s a decision no city wants to make but said Cleveland had to in an effort to keep the community safe.              

The order does not impact healthcare facilities, childcare facilities, soup kitchens, food pantries or crisis centers.              

The mayor also recommends everyone follow CDC guidelines and to shelter in place. He says that means residents should limit their travel to essential places only.               

Cleveland police chief Clint Stout said with only nine officers on staff, they're trying to have as little direct contact with citizens as possible. Officers taking reports over the phone when they can and only responding to major issues in the city.

“"If we lose one or two people, it puts a strain on us because we're not big like Tulsa where we have this great, big pool of employees, so just one person being gone, it greatly affects us,’ Stout said.

The health department hasn't said how the three people in Cleveland contracted COVID-19, but has made it clear community spread is happening in Oklahoma.