The Lincoln – Lancaster County Health Department announced the COVID-19 Risk Dial will remain in the red, or high risk of spread category for week eight.
Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird stated this is partially due to an uptick in the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in recent days. There has been a decline in the number of people tested.
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department today announced that two more residents have died from COVID-19, two men in their 60’s and 70’s who were hospitalized. The total number of deaths in Lancaster County is now 150.
There are 153 new lab confirmed cases today. Recoveries are up from 6,506 to 6,601. The weekly positivity rate for December 27th through the 29th is at 25.8%.
There are 101 people hospitalized in Lancaster County with 58 being residents and 43 from other communities. Seven patients are on ventilators.
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath, repeated shaking with chills, repeated muscle pain, headache, sore throat, new loss of taste or smell. If you have symptoms, please get tested. Testing 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. Drive through test sites include:
- Bryan Health: Former Graham Tire Store, northeast corner of 19th and “O” streets. Tests are conducted from 8:45 to 11:15 a.m. Monday and 8:45 to 11:45 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
- CHI Health St. Elizabeth: Autumn Ridge Family Medicine, 5000 North 26th St. and Southwest Family Health, 1240 Aries Drive. Call either site to schedule an appointment: Autumn Ridge at 402-435-5300 and South West Family at 402-420-1300. The holiday hours for testing are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. New Year’s Eve; and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. New Year’s Day.
- Test Nebraska: Gateway Mall, 6100 “O” St., north parking lot of the former Sears store. Tests are conducted from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The site will be open New Year’s Day. For more information, call 402-207-9377.