OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The Douglas County Health Department reported a decrease in hospital occupancy on Friday. Medical and surgical hospital beds in the metro were at 73 percent occupancy with 400 beds available on Friday morning. Adult ICU beds were occupied at a rate of 71 percent with 96 beds available.
On Wednesday, the previous day data was received due to Thanksgiving, medical and surgical beds were at 80 percent capacity with 308 beds available and adult ICU beds were occupied at a 79 percent rate with 69 available beds.
On Friday, there were 403 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 with 106 of them receiving adult ICU level care.
Additionally, there were 31 persons of interest (generally waiting for test results).
Forty-seven individuals who were confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19 were on ventilators, according to the health department.
The health department reported 1,946 new cases of COVID-19 in the last two days.
The state informed the health department that one private lab reported more than 750 cases in the last two days that date back to October.
The total number of cases in Douglas County is now 38,825.
Four additional deaths were reported involving two men over the age of 65 and two women over the age of 80.
The total number of deaths connected to the pandemic in Douglas County is now 318.
A total of 19,832 county residents have recovered.
NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONAL SERVICES
Director Scott R. Frakes announced that three staff members with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services (NDCS) are positive for the coronavirus (COVID-19). The staff members are employed at the Tecumseh State Correctional Institution (TSCI), Nebraska State Penitentiary (NSP) and the Central Office. All of the staff members are self-isolating at home.
Notification will be provided to those who live and work in those locations as to the positive cases. In addition, anyone who may have had close contact with the staff members will be directed to self-quarantine until cleared by a medical provider.
This brings the total number of NDCS staff members diagnosed with COVID-19 to 321. Two hundred and twenty-eight of those individuals have recovered from COVID-19.