2020 Media and Press Releases

(Cleveland) - The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections (CCBOE) has learned that a Precinct Election Official who worked at the Fairhill Partners polling location tested positive for Covid-19 in the days following the election. Our thoughts are with the official and their family as they work toward a quick and full recovery.

CCBOE implemented a full array of safety measures and precautions as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to minimize the risk of poll workers contracting the virus, including regular cleaning and disinfecting, the use of facial coverings, proper social distancing, and frequent handwashing.

By practicing proper social distancing, workers were also kept from coming in close contact with voters as much as possible. CDC guidelines define close contact as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes, whether it was all at one time or over separate periods of time.

Upon learning of the worker’s covid-positive status, CCBOE Director Anthony Perlatti directly contacted both the Cleveland Department of Public Health and the Cuyahoga County Board of Health for guidance.

“After speaking with local health officials about the situation, I am confident that the risk for voters who visited the Fairhill location was very low. Both agencies have assured me that normal investigation and contact tracing protocols will be followed. Anyone who is deemed a close contact or who is identified as being at risk will be contacted by their local health department.”

Any specific information pertaining to the individual involved in this matter will remain private and will not be disclosed by CCBOE or local health officials.

For more information about Covid-19, please visit these links:

• www.ccbh.net/coronavirus 
• www.coronavirus.ohio.gov 
• https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html