More Technical Difficulties Reporting COVID Cases

(KFOR NEWS September 15, 2020) More technical difficulties in the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services reporting system has delayed reports of COVID-19 cases from the weekend.

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) announced that 41 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 were reported in Lancaster County Monday, bringing the community total to 5,196. The number of deaths in the community remains at 21.

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 2,039 to 2,042

Overall positivity rate:

Lancaster County – up from 7.6 percent to 7.7 percent
State – up from 9.5 percent to 9.6 percent
National – down from 8.6 percent to 8.5 percent

Hospitalizations for COVID-19 positive patients: 30 with 10 from Lancaster County (one on ventilator) and 20 from other communities (one on ventilator).

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: LifePointe, 7501 S. 27th St.
CHI Health St. Elizabeth: Gateway Mall, 6100 “O” St., northwest corner of the mall.
Test Nebraska: Gateway Mall, northwest corner of the mall. Test Nebraska appointment times are from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 6 p.m. today through Saturday.

The COVID-19 Risk Dial is at “Orange,” indicating a high risk of the virus spreading.