Nebraska needs stronger mitigation efforts ‘as other states have done,’ White House COVID-19 Task Force says

AND MORE OF OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS. MORE NEBRASKA CITIES ARE WEIGHING THEIR OWN MASK MANDATE OPTIONS. RALSTON IS THE LATEST CITY SET TO APPROVE THEIR OWN MASK MANDATE. THE BOARD OF HEALTH UNANIMOUSLY AGREED TO PASS THE DECISION ONTO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR TONIGHT’S MEETING. GRETNA IS ALSO MEETING TO DISCUSS ONE THIS EVENING. MANDATE PROPOSALS ARE ALSO ON THE AGENDA FOR LA VISTA AND PAPILLION THIS WEEK. IN HIS CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING THIS MORNING, GOVERNOR RICK IT’S — RICKETTS REITERATED THAT MASKS WORK, BUT MANDATING THEM IS UNNECESSARY. HE ALSO WANTS TO MAKE SURE CITIES WHO IMPOSE MANDATES, ARE DOING IT LEGALLY. GOVERNOR RICKETTS: IT GETS BACK TO IF THE CITIES ARE ACTING WITHIN THE LAW, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO WHAT THEY CAN WITHIN THE LAW. SO FOR EXAMPLE, WITH REGARD TO OMAHA, OMAHA PASSED ITS OWN ORDINANCE I’VE GOT HOME CHARTER RULE, THEY’RE LEGALLY ABLE TO DO SO. SO IF SOMEBODY IN ONE OF THOSE JURISDICTIONS DOESN’T LIKE THAT , THEY’VE GOT STANDING TO BE ABLE TO CHALLENGE THAT THAT WOULD BE THEIR PREROGATIVE TO DO SO. JOHN: THE GOVERNOR ALSO SAID PEOPLE AREN’T COOPERATING WITH CONTACT TRACERS, AND HEALTH DEPARTMENTS HAVE EVEN HAD TO CONTACT POLICE BECAUSE OF THREATS FROM PEOPLE TOWARD WORKERS. THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS ASKING YOU TO MAKE SURE YOU PICK UP THE PHONE FROM THOSE CONTACT TASERS AND HELP THEM OUT. ALSO NEW AT NOON, MEAT-PACKING WORKERS FILE A FEDERAL LAWSUIT, CHALLENGING CONDITIONS AT A BEEF-PROCESSING PLANT IN HASTINGS. THE PLAINTIFFS INCLUDE FORMER PLANT EMPLOYEES AND A LOCAL PEDIATRICIAN WHO TREATS THE CHILDREN OF MEATPACKING WORKERS AND PEOPLE WITH COVID-19. NEBRASKA REPORTED MORE THA — NEBRASKA REPORTED MORE THAN 1000 NEW, KNOWN CASES SUNDAY. THE DAILY AVERAGE IS NEARLY 2,000 SO FAR THIS MONTH. FOUR MORE NEBRASKANS DIED FROM COVID-19, FOR A TOTAL OF 257 DEATHS JUST THIS MONTH. IN IOWA, THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT REPORTED 1600 NEW, KNOWN CASES TODAY, AND 13 MORE DEATHS. MORE THAN 2200 IOWANS HAVE DIED FROM COVID-19. WE’RE FOLLOWING A DEVELOPING STORY TODAY INVOLVING LAST WEEK’S FATAL POLICE SHOOTING IN SOUTH OMAHA. THE OMAHA POLICE DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY’LL TALK MORE TODAY ABOUT THE SHOOTING THAT KILLED 35-YEAR-OLD KENNETH JONES. WE’LL BRING THAT BRIEFING TO YOU LIVE ON-AIR AND ONLINE STARTING AT 2:00 P.M. HERE IS WHAT WE DO KNOW. IT HAPPENED NEAR 27TH AND HARRISON DURING A TRAFFIC STOP. RIGHT NOW, WE KNOW THESE TWO OFFICERS ARE ON LEAVE. 29-YEAR-OLD DAN FAULKNER AND 31-YEAR-OLD RICHARD MARTIER. AS THE OFFICERS GOT OUT OF THEIR PATROL CAR FOR A ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOP OPD SAYS THEIR BODY WORN , CAMERAS SHOWING THEM YELLING “STOP REACHING.” AS THEY WALKED TOWARD THE CAR, OFFICERS SAY JONES WAS MOVING AROUND. THE DEPARTMENT TELLS US THE OFFICERS THEN YELLED EVERYBODY, HANDS UP, AND REPEATED THAT COMMAND THREE TIMES. OFFICERS SAY EVERYONE IN THE CAR DID PUT THEIR HANDS UP EXCEPT FOR JONES. AS THE OFFICER TRIED TO GRAB JONES, POLICE SAY HE PULLED AWAY. WHEN THEY GOT JONES OUT OF THE CAR, OPD SAYS YOU CAN HEAR AN OFFICER ON VIDEO, SAYING QUOTE KEEP YOUR HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM AND MOMENTS LATER SAYING HE HAS A GUN. EVENTUALLY, THE DEPARTMENT SAYS AN OFFICER FIRED FOUR SHOTS AND JONES FELL TO THE GROUND. THEY’VE NOT SAID WHICH OFFICER FIRED HIS WEAPON. INVESTIGATORS DID SAY THEY FOUND A LOADED HANDGUN DIRECTLY UNDERNEATH JONES. OPD SAYS THAT HANDGUN AND THE OFFICERS’ GUNS WILL UNDERGO BALLISTIC TESTING. AGAIN, WE SHOULD HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SHOOTING TODAY. THAT WILL BE AT 2:00. MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE, PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANY ASTRA-ZENECA SAYS LATE-STAGE TRIALS FOR ITS CORONAVIRUS VACCINE SHOW IT’S 90% EFFECTIVE. IT’S MORE HOPE FOR PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS, WHICH MAY HAVE A CHEAPER AND EASIER VACCINE TO DISTRIBUTE THAN SOME OTHER OPTIONS. VOLUNTEERS IN THE STUDY WERE GIVEN A HALF-DOSE FOLLOWED BY A FULL DOSE. >> I WANT AMERICANS TO UNDERSTAND WE’VE NEVER HAD MORE REASON FOR HOPE THANKS TO THE SCIENCE. WE’RE GOING TO HAVE VULNERABLE PEOPLE START TO BE VACCINATED IN MERE WEEKS. JOHN: TWO OTHER DRUG MAKERS, PFIZER AND MODERNA HAVE REPORTED THEIR PRELIMINARY RESULTS SHOWING THAT THEIR VACCINES WERE ALMOST 95% EFFECTIVE. AHEAD OF THANKSGIVING WEEK, THE CDC IS ASKING YOU TO STAY HOME AND STAY SAFE DURING THE PANDEMIC. NEW NUMBERS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION SHOW MANY PEO

Nebraska needs stronger mitigation efforts ‘as other states have done,’ White House COVID-19 Task Force says

Updated: 1:07 PM CST Nov 24, 2020

According to the latest White House Coronavirus Task Force report obtained by ABC News, Nebraska is in the red zone for cases and test positivity. Officials are recommending stronger mitigation efforts. The state has the sixth highest case positivity the country, in the red zone indicating a rate at or above 10.1%.Douglas County, Lancaster County and Sarpy County have had the highest number of new cases in the past three weeks, representing 49.7% of new cases in Nebraska.A total of 82% Nebraska counties have high levels of community transmission. Nebraska had 865 new cases per 100,000 population, compared to a national average of 356 per 100,000. Between Nov. 14 – Nov. 20, on average, 136 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and 50 patients with suspected COVID-19 were reported as newly admitted each day to hospitals in Nebraska. This is an increase of 14% in total COVID-19 hospital admissions.The task force report stated that this surge can only be “interrupted through proactive, focused testing for both the identification of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals.””Nearly all counties are in the red zone with extensive and unyielding spread. Hospitalizations are increasing week over week, mitigation and messaging needs to be further strengthened as other states have done,” the report states. “Effective practices to decrease transmission in public spaces include requiring masks, limiting restaurant indoor capacity to less than 25%, and closing bars until cases and test positivity decrease to the yellow zone. Strong mitigation efforts by neighboring states are showing early impact.”The task force urged people to comply with public health orders and wear masks. Officials also suggested targeting antigen testing to asymptomatic populations under the age of 35.

OMAHA, Neb. —

According to the latest White House Coronavirus Task Force report obtained by ABC News, Nebraska is in the red zone for cases and test positivity. Officials are recommending stronger mitigation efforts.

The state has the sixth highest case positivity the country, in the red zone indicating a rate at or above 10.1%.

Douglas County, Lancaster County and Sarpy County have had the highest number of new cases in the past three weeks, representing 49.7% of new cases in Nebraska.

A total of 82% Nebraska counties have high levels of community transmission.

Nebraska had 865 new cases per 100,000 population, compared to a national average of 356 per 100,000. Between Nov. 14 – Nov. 20, on average, 136 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and 50 patients with suspected COVID-19 were reported as newly admitted each day to hospitals in Nebraska. This is an increase of 14% in total COVID-19 hospital admissions.

The task force report stated that this surge can only be “interrupted through proactive, focused testing for both the identification of asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals.”

“Nearly all counties are in the red zone with extensive and unyielding spread. Hospitalizations are increasing week over week, mitigation and messaging needs to be further strengthened as other states have done,” the report states. “Effective practices to decrease transmission in public spaces include requiring masks, limiting restaurant indoor capacity to less than 25%, and closing bars until cases and test positivity decrease to the yellow zone. Strong mitigation efforts by neighboring states are showing early impact.”

The task force urged people to comply with public health orders and wear masks. Officials also suggested targeting antigen testing to asymptomatic populations under the age of 35.