Preliminary Sunday Covid Number Below 100, But May Rise Later

Lincoln, NE (November 22,2020) After Saturday’s record, over 400, The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department recorded 98 new cases of the Corona Virus Sunday.  The death toll remained at 67.  Over the past 15 days, Lancaster County has averaged 242 new cases each day.  The Health Department warned, however, that it has received only partial data for today due to system maintenance being conducted by the State.  Additional case numbers are expected to be released later today.

the COVID-19 Risk Dial remains in red for the third week, indicating that the risk of the virus spreading in the community is severe.  On the color-coded dial, red represents the highest risk of COVID-19 spread, and green represents the lowest risk. The dial is updated every Friday.

The position of the Risk Dial is based on multiple local indicators and information from the previous three weeks.  Health Director Pat Lopez said three key factors are keeping the dial in red.

  • Last week, 1,721 new cases were reported, a new record high.  So far this week, 1,337 new cases have been reported.
  • The weekly positivity rate has more than doubled from 13.3 percent the week ending October 24 to 29.1 percent the week ending November 14. So far this week, the rate is 28.4 percent.
  • In  just over three weeks, Lincoln hospitals have seen the number of COVID-19 patients more than triple, from 51 patients on October 26 to 169 patients today.

“Tough decisions are happening all over the country right now as we reach a critical point in this long pandemic,” said Health Director Pat Lopez.  “In the past, we have been able to give residents a few days to adjust to new measures before they take effect.  As we continue to look at potential measures to slow the spread of this virus, we need the public to understand that further steps may need to be taken early next week, and those changes may need to be implemented very quickly to protect our community and our health system.”

Mayor Gaylor Baird said all large indoor and outdoor gatherings, including family gatherings, are highly discouraged at this time. “It is in our nature to want to be together, especially during the holiday season, but now is the time to show our love and care for one another by not gathering,” she said. “The CDC now recommends that we celebrate Thanksgiving only with those in our household.  We need to remain strong and do the right thing, right now, to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors.”

For more information, visit COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov or call the Health Department hotline at 402-441-8006.

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