Watch Now

Coronavirus

Actions

Daily COVID-19 case updates: 11/24/20

coronavirus
E.W. Scripps
coronavirus
Posted
and last updated

OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — As coronavirus cases come in throughout our area on Tuesday, KMTV will update this story with the latest numbers. Check back often for updates. The latest updates will be posted at the top.

NEBRASKA

DOUGLAS COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

LINCOLN-LANCASTER COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

  • The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) today announced that three more residents have died from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths in Lancaster County to 73. The individuals were a woman in her 80s and a man in his 70s, who were both in nursing homes, and a woman in her 90s who was hospitalized. On behalf of the City, Mayor Gaylor Baird expresses condolences to their families and friends.
  • LLCHD reports 226 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Lancaster County today, bringing the community total to 15,061.
  • Recoveries: up from 4,987 to 5,032
  • Weekly positivity rate:
    • November 15 through 21: 27.4 percent
    • November 22 through 24: 26.4 percent
  • Hospitalizations for COVID-19 positive patients: 164 with 83 from Lancaster County (nine on ventilators) and 81 from other communities (10 on ventilators).
  • The COVID-19 Risk Dial is in the red position indicating a severe risk of the virus spreading. Residents are advised to follow these recommendations to protect themselves and others:
    • Stay at home unless traveling for work, school, food or medical care or to check on others who may need assistance.
    • Work from home if possible.
    • Wear a face mask when interacting with anyone outside of your household.
    • Stay at least six feet away from anyone outside of your household.
    • Avoid gatherings.
    • Only visit businesses and participate in activities where public health guidelines are observed. The guidelines include mask wearing, physical distancing and capacity limits.
    • Follow travel guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov.
  • Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, repeated shaking with chills, repeated muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell. If you have symptoms, please get tested. Testing is now open to all Lancaster County residents by appointment only.
  • The testing process begins with a free online risk assessment available at BryanHealth.com, CHIHealth.com or TestNebraska.com. Drive through test sites include:
    • Bryan Health: Former Graham Tire Store, northeast corner of 19th and “O” streets.
    • Test Nebraska: Gateway Mall, 6100 “O” St., north parking lot of the former Sears store, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. For more information visit testnebraska.com or call 402-207-9377.
    • CHI Health St. Elizabeth: Autumn Ridge Family Medicine, 5000 North 26th St. and Southwest Family Health, 1240 Aries Drive. Call either site to schedule an appointment: Autumn Ridge at 402-435-5300 and South West Family at 402-420-1300.
  • LLCHD reminds the public that a flu vaccination is the most effective way to reduce the risk of getting influenza. The flu vaccine is easily accessible, and the public is encouraged to contact health care providers or find a community flu immunization location in November.
  • LLCHD will provide free flu immunizations to anyone age 6 months and older. For more information, call 402-441-8065 or visit lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: vaccine).
  • For more information, visit COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov or call the Health Department hotline at 402-441-8006.

The department also announced changes to the local Directed Health Measure in an effort to limit COVID-19's spread:

CHANGES TO DIRECTED HEALTH MEASURE BEGIN WEDNESDAY

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) today announced changes to the local Directed Health Measure (DHM) that will take effect at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, November 25. The measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will be in effect through December 18 and include the following:

  • Alcohol sales at bars that do not sell food are limited to carry-out.
  • Bars that sell food and restaurants must stop serving alcoholic beverages at 8:45 p.m. and must close at 9 p.m., but they may offertake-out and delivery for food and alcohol orders after 9 p.m. These establishments must reduce occupancy to 50 percent, with parties of no more than eight spaced at least six feet apart. No games such as pool or darts are allowed. Patrons are to remain seated except to order or to use the restrooms and must wear masks when not seated.
  • Off-sale alcohol at bars and retail stores continues to be allowed per state law.
  • Gyms are limited to the greater of 25 percent occupancy or 10 people (excluding employees). Individuals must maintain at least six feet of distance from others at all times, and no indoor contact or limited contact team sports like basketball or volleyball are allowed. This applies to all ages.
  • Indoor gatherings are limited to no more than 10 people, excluding employees. Gatherings in confined outdoor spaces are limited to no more than 25 people. Exceptions – including schools, grocery and retail stores, offices and factories – are listed at COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov.

These existing measures remain in place:

  • All large events continue to be postponed.
  • Individuals must wear masks indoors unless no one else is in the same room and they can maintain at least 6 feet of separation from others at all times.
  • Indoor youth sports activities remain postponed until December 7, and this measure will be reevaluated before that date.
  • Religious gatherings, including weddings and funerals continue to be governed by the current State DHM.
  • Companies licensed to allow consumption of alcohol on city streets such as pedal pubs and party buses may not operate until after December 18.

For the third consecutive week, the COVID-19 Risk Dial remains in red, indicating that the risk of the virus spreading is severe. Health Director Pat Lopez said these key indicators continue to move in the wrong direction:

  • The seven-day rolling average of new cases has increased from 124 at the end of October to 278 at the end of last week, a 125 percent increase.
  • The number of new weekly cases has more than doubled from 890 for the week ending October 31 to 1,861 the week ending November 21.
  • The weekly positivity rate has also more than doubled from 13.3 percent for the week ending October 24 to 27.4 percent the week ending November 21.
  • The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized locally has increased from 84 on October 31 to 170 November 21.


“We have no indications that our case numbers, positivity rate, and hospitalizations have peaked. We do not have reason to believe that things are going to get better without further action,” said Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird. “We hear our health care professionals – the situation is critical. They need our support, and the only way we can protect our health care system is to turn these numbers around and prevent further illness that leads to hospitalizations.”

For more information, visitCOVID19.lincoln.ne.govor call the Health Department hotline at402-441-8006.

IOWA

    Copyright 2020 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

    Coronavirus Resources and Information

    Johns Hopkins global coronavirus tracker