LINCOLN, Nebraska (KOLN) – The Lincoln-Lancaster County Department of Health announced on Monday that two more residents had died of COVID-19. The deaths were of a 90-year-old woman who was hospitalized and an 80-year-old man from a long-term institution who had been hospitalized. The total death toll in Lancaster County is now 200. On behalf of the city, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird expresses condolences to his family and friends.
LLCHD reports 71 confirmed cases in a COVID-19 lab in Lancaster County today, bringing the community total to 26,789.
Visit lincoln.ne.gov/COVID19dashboard for access a panel that summarizes Lancaster County COVID-19 data. LLCHD also released the following information today:
Recoveries: 10,374
Weekly positivity rate:
- January 17th to 23rd: 26.7 percent
- January 31 to February 1: not available
Hospitalizations for COVID-19 positive patients: 55 with 34 from Lancaster County (two on fans) and 21 from other communities (one on a fan).
Vaccine records: 67,000
An online COVID-19 vaccine registration form for Lancaster County residents is now available at COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov. Those without online access or who need help can call the LLCHD COVID-19 hotline at 402-441-8006 from 8 am to 4:30 pm on weekdays to register.
The vaccine is not yet available to the general public. As soon as vaccine doses are available, those who are registered will have an appointment to be vaccinated. Vaccination appointments depend on the delivery of the vaccine and are not related to the order in which people are registered. Registration is open to all residents of the county, but those in Phase 1B – those aged 65 and over and those with underlying medical conditions – are encouraged to register.
The COVID-19 risk indicator is in high orange, indicating a high risk of spreading the virus. Residents are advised to follow these recommendations to protect themselves and others:
- Wear a face mask and stand at least six feet away when interacting with someone outside your home.
- Work from home if possible.
- Individual outdoor activities are preferred.
- Small meetings and events with only modifications (ie, physical distance, face masks, capacity limits, etc.).
- Avoid large meetings.
- Visit RecoverLNK.com for information on how local businesses are taking precautions to protect employees and customers.
- Follow the Disease Control Centers travel guidelines at cdc.gov.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, repeated agitation with chills, repeated muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell. If you have symptoms, get tested. The test 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. The test sites include:
- Bryan Health: Former Graham Tire Store, northeast corner of 19th and “O” streets. Tests are run from 8:45 am to 11:15 am on Monday and from 8:45 am to 11:45 am from Tuesday to Saturday. This site is scheduled to close late Friday, February 5.
- CHI Health St. Elizabeth: Autumn Ridge Family Medicine, 5000 North 26th St. and Southwest Family Health, 1240 Aries Drive. Call any of the locations to schedule an appointment: Autumn Ridge, 402-435-5300 and South West Family, 402-420-1300.
- Nebraska Test: Gateway Mall, 6100 “O” St., parking lot north of the old Sears store. The tests are carried out from 8 am to noon and from 1 pm to 6 pm, from Monday to Saturday. For more information, call 402-207-9377.
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