OMAHA, Neb — On Friday the Douglas County Health Department confirmed 324 new positive COVID-19 tests have been received since Midnight the previous day. The Health Department received two new death certificates during the past day for an unvaccinated man in his 70s and a vaccinated woman in her 80s.
The Omaha Metropolitan Health Care Coalition — which encompasses Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders, Dodge and Washington counties in Nebraska, plus hospitals in Council Bluffs and Missouri Valley, Iowa — releases updated COVID-19 case counts and hospital capacity report to the Douglas County Health Department on a near-daily basis. Unless noted, these capacity numbers include both COVID-19 patients and patients who are in the hospital for other illnesses.
According to the most recent local hospital report received on Thursday afternoon:
- Medical and surgical beds were at 91% occupancy with 122 staffed beds available.
- Adult ICU beds were occupied at a 93% rate with 20 staffed beds available.
- Forty-eight individuals who were confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19 were on ventilators.
- There were 332 individuals hospitalized who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, with 92 of them receiving adult ICU-level care.
- Six pediatric patients were confirmed among those hospitalized.
- Pediatric ICU beds were at 93% capacity with nine beds available.
- There were six additional COVID-19 persons of interest (generally waiting for test results) to report, and all of them were adults.
The total number of positive cases reported since March of 2020 is 96,691. The number of COVID-19-related deaths in Douglas County during the pandemic has now grown to 877.
The Douglas County Health Department says it's prepared to administer booster shots for 16- to 17-year-olds. In a statement, the health department said: "There is additional help available for people hoping to protect their teenagers from COVID-19. The CDC on Thursday expanded its recommendations on booster shots to include everyone 16 and older. That means individuals 16 and 17 years old will be able to get a booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are six months past their initial Pfizer vaccination series. Only Pfizer vaccine is approved for this use. DCHD will begin giving those shots (Friday)."
Saturday vaccine clinics in Douglas County:
- Westside Middle School, 8601 Arbor St., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Omaha Children’s Museum, 500 S. 20th St., from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Antioch Baptist Church, 2535 S. 42nd St., from 3 to 5 p.m.
Monday vaccine clinics:
- Brownell Talbot School, 400 Happy Hollow Blvd., 4 to 7 p.m.
- Fullerton Elementary School, 4711 N. 138th St., 5 to 7 p.m.
- Gifford Park Elementary School, 717 N. 32nd St., 5 to 7 p.m.
These clinics will offer the Pfizer vaccines for everyone 5 years of age and older.