OMAHA, NE — 3 News Now caught up with Governor Pete Ricketts Friday evening, following his announcement during a tele-conference that the first community case of COVID-19 has hit Omaha.
This is the full interview with the governor.
During the discussion, Gov. Ricketts gave some further details on the process that is now happening to track down people who may have come in contact with the 36-year-old woman who is ill.
The governor said that people who have had contact will be monitored and may have to be quarantined for 2 weeks.
The governor also said plans are in the works for the possibility of having to shut down large events scheduled in Omaha and of having to close schools. He said there were enough test kits for patients who come into hospitals with strong symptoms, but not enough for the general population in Omaha. The governor said the state is working with private companies who may be able to do larger scale testing in a few weeks.
The ill woman was out in the community for about 7 days before going to the ER at Methodist on Thursday. It wasn't until Friday afternoon that tests confirmed she had the coronavirus.