Lincoln, NE (December 30, 2020) Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) today announced that two more residents have died from COVID-19.  The total number of deaths in Lancaster County is now 152.

The deaths included a man in his 60s who was hospitalized and a woman in her 60s in hospice care.

LLCHD reports 225 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Lancaster County today, bringing the community total to 22,461.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Visit COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov to access a dashboard that summarizes Lancaster County COVID-19 data. LLCHD also released the following information today:

Recoveries: up from 6,601 to 6,730

Weekly positivity rate:

  • December 20 through 26:  25.6 percent
  • December 27 through 30:  32.6 percent

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 positive patients: 102 with 63 from Lancaster County (four on ventilators) and 39 from other communities (two on ventilators).

The COVID-19 Risk Dial is in the red position indicating a severe risk of the virus spreading. Residents are advised to follow these recommendations to protect themselves and others:

  • Stay at home unless traveling for work, school, food or medical care or to check on others who may need assistance.
  • Work from home if possible.
  • Wear a face mask when interacting with anyone outside of your household.
  • Stay at least six feet away from anyone outside of your household.
  • Avoid gatherings.
  • Visit RecoverLNK.com for information on how local businesses are taking precautions to protect employees and customers.
  • Follow travel guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, repeated shaking with chills, repeated muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell.  If you have symptoms, please get tested.  Testing is now open to all Lancaster County residents by appointment only.

The testing process begins with a free online risk assessment available at BryanHealth.com, CHIHealth.com or TestNebraska.com.  Drive through test sites include:

  • Bryan Health: Former Graham Tire Store, northeast corner of 19th and “O” streets.  Tests are conducted from 8:45 to 11:15 a.m. Monday and 8:45 to 11:45 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
  • CHI Health St. Elizabeth: Autumn Ridge Family Medicine, 5000 North 26th St. and Southwest Family Health, 1240 Aries Drive.  Call either site to schedule an appointment: Autumn Ridge at 402-435-5300 and South West Family at 402-420-1300.  The holiday hours for testing are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. New Year’s Eve; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. New Year’s Day.
  • Test Nebraska: Gateway Mall, 6100 “O” St., north parking lot of the former Sears store.  Tests are conducted from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.  The site will be open New Year’s Day. For more information, call 402-207-9377.

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