One Omicron Case And One More Death Confirmed In Lancaster County

Lincoln, NE (December 21, 2021)  The Omicron Variant is now present in Lancaster County.  Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and Health Director Pat Lopez confirmed it in their weekly briefing today. Lopez said she has been notified of the County’s first case of Omicron shortly before the 3:30 P.M. briefing, but gave no additional details.

The Health Director said the 7 day rolling average of new cases per day stands at 140.  She said, however, that we are “likely to have another holiday bump at the end of the year.”  The positivity rate is still above 13 percent, she said, indicating that the risk of infection is high.  The daily average of patients hospitalized in Lincoln with Covid now stands at 120, a number that has steadily increased since December 10.

Lopez also reported one death today, a woman in her 80’s.  17 residents have died from Covid so far in December.  139 New Cases of the virus were confirmed in Lancaster County today, one shy of the 7 day rolling average identified in today’s briefing.  The risk dial will remain in the high portion of orange, Lopez said, also indicating high risk.

Lopez and the Mayor urged all eligible people to get vaccinated as soon as possible.  “It’s a call to arms” the Mayor said.  Lopez said about 71,000 eligible people have yet to take the shots.  “Many of those in the hospital with Covid would not be there if they had been vaccinated” Lopez said. Everyone age 5 and older is eligible to receive Covid vaccine.