Nebraska Update

Douglas County’s new health director says she’s recommending local school districts require masks for the upcoming semester as COVID cases continue to rise in Nebraska.
Lindsay Huse says much like the rest of the country, case rates in Douglas County are going up, now at about 90 new COVID cases a day. She told Douglas County Commissioners this week the most concerning part of the data is a sharp increase in cases in residents 19 years old and younger. Those numbers have tripled over the past few weeks, with the highest concentration in kids between five and nine years old who can’t be vaccinated yet.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID cases in Nebraska are up 35% this week. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says the state added roughly 2,000 cases in that timeframe. The weekly DHHS data update also shows something public health experts have known: the delta variant accounts for the majority of all cases.
Hospitalizations are up this week as well. 158 Nebraskans are hospitalized because of the virus. That’s an increase of more than 30 beds from the previous week.

An investigative radio documentary produced by Nebraska Public Media News reveals how residents of one community are putting up a big fight to save their tiny village from pollution. “The Smell of Money: Mead, Nebraska’s Fight for Its Future” airs on radio at 7 p.m. CT, Wednesday, Aug. 4 and 9 a.m. CT, Friday, Aug. 6.

With the federal pandemic moratorium on evictions expiring at the end of July, a Nebraska nonprofit group warns there will likely be an increase in evictions throughout August.

A historic hospital in Walthill, Nebraska is being restored. The facility was built by a local Northeast Nebraska doctor in 1912.

Dr. Susan LaFlesche Picotte became the first Native American female physician in the nation in 1889. ‘Dr. Susan,’ as she was affectionately referred to, raised money with help from a local church to build the ‘Picotte Center’ hospital, making it the first built on a reservation without federal funding.

With the rise of the Delta variant, there’s now a renewed focus on tracking county-level transmission. The CDC has four classifications for community transmission – from low, moderate, substantial and high. Those counties with substantial or high should, under new CDC guidelines, wear masks in some indoor places.

A private institution in Nebraska will be requiring students to get vaccinated before the fall semester or soon after. Doane College isn't requiring staff to be vaccinated, stating 82 percent of them already have been vaccinated.

A private institution in Nebraska will be requiring students to get vaccinated before the fall semester or soon after. Doane College isn't requiring staff to be vaccinated, stating 82 percent of them already have been vaccinated.

Yazidi refugees in Nebraska face language barriers, social stigma, and economic hardships, but the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issues. Local groups and researchers are trying to help alleviate the barriers.

Vaccinations, new mask guidance all part of confronting the "enemy"