MetroHealth

As COVID-19 cases rise again, masks will be required for all indoor visitors and employees inside county buildings regardless of vaccination status; A bill to allow Ohio school districts to arm teachers and staff faced strong opposition at its first hearing since the deadly school shooting in Texas; MetroHealth trauma workers sent care packages to Uvalde, Texas.

Here's what Cleveland area doctors say you should still be doing to protect yourself from COVID-19.

MetroHealth and NEON are among the medical providers receiving funds to create or expand existing health services in Cleveland-area schools.

University Hospitals, MetroHealth, and the Cleveland Clinic are partnering with Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) to offer a free workforce training program to ease the worker shortage.

Ohio Sen. Rob Portman is calling for tougher sanctions on Russia as its war on Ukraine continues; Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, and University Hospitals are all keeping their mask requirements for both employees and patients; Akron will use $3.5 million of its federal COVID-19 relief funding to reimagine its Lock 3 Park downtown; and more stories.

Health officials say there is greater COVID-19 risk in health care settings than in other public spaces, so masks will likely still be required for the foreseeable future.

Hospitals are allowing patients to have more visitors, after several months of restrictions brought on by an unprecedented influx of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.

Officials did not say how long those placed on leave would have to change their minds and get the shot before being officially fired.

Thursday is the deadline for many health care workers to get the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine shot or face the possibility of termination.

UH caregivers must be fully vaccinated by March 15, according to a statement from the hospital system.