OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — The first case of COVID-19 has been confirmed in Lincoln, Nebraska.
On Friday, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) announced that officials are investigating the first confirmed positive case of COVID-19 in Lancaster County.
The individual is a 48-year-old male resident of Lincoln who traveled to Colorado March 8 and 9. The man developed symptoms March 15 and visited his health care provider March 16. The provider tested for COVID-19 and advised him to self-isolate at home until the test results were received.
The provider followed protocol and immediately contacted LLCHD when the test came back positive for COVID-19 today. The individual continues to self-isolate at home.
The Mayor and LLCHD will hold a briefing at 2:45 p.m. today and the briefing will be aired live on LNKTV, the city government access channel. The briefings may also be viewed on Allo channels 2 and 3, Spectrum channels 1300 and 1301, and Kinetic channel 1005 and 1010. The briefings will also be streamed at lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: LNKTV) and available at YouTube.com/LNKTVcity.
“We are taking this change in our community’s status very seriously because we know that, for those considered at highest risk - older adults and those with underlying health conditions - the virus poses a very serious threat,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird. “Every decision we make continues to be based on how we can best protect them, our health care workers, and all of our residents with every available resource. While this latest development is cause for significant concern, it is important to remember that, for the vast majority of people who end up contracting coronavirus, the impact to their health will be minimal.”
LLCHD is now monitoring 160 individuals. The agency reports 55 negative tests with 5 pending.
