Public health officials in Omaha have confirmed a second COVID-19 case whose origins can't be traced, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Wednesday.
Nebraska has 24 confirmed cases out of the roughly 500 people who have been tested so far for the coronavirus, Ricketts said at a news conference at the Capitol. He said Douglas County health officials would release more details Wednesday afternoon about the new "community spread" case, in which it's unclear how a patient became infected.
Ricketts said he expects more tests will be available soon, and officials at the state's public health lab have figured out a way to test as many as 400 people per day, up from the current 100.
He said Nebraska residents have done a good job so far of complying with a 10-person limit in public settings such as bars, restaurants, day cares and concerts. Officials in Douglas County, which includes Omaha, are enforcing the rule with the threat of misdemeanor charges against people who violate it, but Ricketts said he didn't see the need to enforce a similar punishment at the state level.
"Nebraskans are stepping up to that 10-person rule and complying with it," Ricketts said.
Meanwhile, day care providers urged parents to keep their children at home if they can so that the children of health care workers, first responders and grocery store employees are given first priority.
"It is essential that those people can continue to work so they can provide safety for our communities," said Theresa Thibodeau, an Omaha-area day care owner and former state senator.
Ricketts' announcement came hours after Omaha-area officials took new steps to give police the authority to limit gatherings to try stop the virus' spread.
For most people, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The Douglas County Board of Health issued an order limiting gatherings within the county, which includes Omaha, to no more than 10 people. The order also says that a venue must be large enough for all people in any gathering to be at least 6 feet apart from each other.
The local order followed calls Monday by state leaders to limit gatherings to 10 or fewer people. Douglas County officials said Wednesday's order was necessary to give police and sheriff's deputies the power to enforce that limit.
The order is effective through April 30. It excludes a multitude of businesses, services and situations. Those exclusions include courts, government operations, airports and public transportation, shopping venues, shelters and households with more than 10 people. Child care facilities, however, are limited to the 10-person order.
The department's director, Dr. Adi Pour, said in the order that she believes any delay in implementing the measure "would significantly jeopardize the ability to prevent or limit the transmission of a communicable disease and pose unacceptable risks" to people.
The order comes on the heels of similar measures being taken across the U.S. to limit exposure to the coronavirus, including limits on crowd size, closing schools and businesses and postponing upcoming primary elections. In the U.S., the death toll from the virus surpassed 100, and officials urged older Americans and those with health problems to stay home.
Among those who have tested positive for the virus is a doctor who saw patients over the weekend at Bellevue Medical Center before developing symptoms, Nebraska Medicine spokesman Taylor Wilson said. The hospital is part of the Nebraska Medicine system.
Hospital employees and nine patients who had contact with the doctor have been notified, Wilson said. The doctor is experiencing mild symptoms and is in isolation at home, Wilson said.
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