OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — On Friday, the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) 212 additional COVID-19 cases and one death related to the virus.
With the new cases, the county’s total now sits at 63,224. The county did not report cases on Thursday.
The sole death was a man older than 80 years of age and brings the total number of COVID-related deaths, since the pandemic began, to 650.
Other data from the department:
- As of Thursday, the past 14 days saw 118 cases of COVID-19 reported in K-12 schools. That breaks down to 38 staff and 80 students. A total of 166 individuals are quarantined and 473 people are self-monitoring.
- The number of residents who have recovered from the virus is now at 52,707.
- According to the most recent local hospital report received last evening, medical and surgical beds were at 80% occupancy with 315 beds available and adult ICU beds are occupied at a 72% rate with 96 beds available. There were 102 individuals hospitalized who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, with 48 of them receiving adult ICU level care. There are also eight more persons of interest (generally waiting for test results). Eighteen individuals who were confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19 were on ventilators.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department also provided an update:
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) today announced that two more residents have died from COVID-19. The deaths were a woman in her 80s who was hospitalized and a woman in her 90s who was in a long-term care facility. The total number of deaths in Lancaster County is now 217. On behalf of the City, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird expresses condolences to their families and friends.
LLCHD reports 61 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Lancaster County today, bringing the community total to 27,774.
Visit lincoln.ne.gov/COVID19dashboard[lincoln.ne.gov] to access a dashboard that summarizes Lancaster County COVID-19 data. LLCHD also released the following information today:
Recoveries: 12,478
Weekly positivity rate:
- February 7 through 13: 17.9 percent
- February 14 through 19: 24 percent
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 positive patients: 28 with 17 from Lancaster County (two on ventilators) and 11 from other communities (none on ventilators).
Vaccine doses administered: more than 65,390 (This does not include Friday’s vaccinations.)
An online COVID-19 vaccine registration form for Lancaster County residents is available at COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov. Those who do not have online access or who need assistance may call LLCHD’s COVID-19 hotline at 402-441-8006 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays to register.
The vaccine is not yet available for the general public. As vaccine doses become available, those who are registered will be given an appointment to be vaccinated. Appointments for vaccinations are dependent on vaccine supply and are not related to the order in which people register. The registration is open to all County residents, but those who are in Phase1B – those age 65 and older and those with underlying medical conditions – are encouraged to register.
The COVID-19 Risk Dial is at mid-yellow, indicating a moderate risk of the virus spreading. Recommendations include:
- Cautious expansion of interactions with others – outdoor activities preferred
- Continue wearing a mask and distance yourself when around others from outside of your household.
- Attend businesses, gatherings and events only with modifications (i.e. physical distancing, face masks, and capacity limits)
- Follow CDC Travel Guidelines
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. Those who experience any of these symptoms or who have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 to are urged to be tested immediately. The testing process begins with a free online risk assessment available at BryanHealth.com, CHIHealth.com or TestNebraska.com.
Drive-through testing is available from:
- 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, 402-435-5300 and South West Family, 402-420-1300.
- Test Nebraska: Gateway Mall, 6100 “O” St., north parking lot of the former Sears store. Tests are conducted from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 402-207-9377
Testing is also available without an appointment at the three Bryan Urgent Care locations, 7501 S. 27th St., 5901 N. 27th St. and 4333 S. 86th St. To check wait times, call 402-481-6343.
For more information, visit COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov or call the Health Department hotline at 402-441-8006.
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