A new COVID-19 testing site will be opening in Lincoln on Thursday. Health Director Pat Lopez says they are partnering with Total Wellness of Omaha to open a drive-thru testing site at 1918 O Street.
“The hours of operation will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and testing will be available by appointment only due to the high testing demand,” Lopez says.
You can click here to schedule an appointment. Starting Wednesday a second drive thru lane will open at the NOMI testing site at Gateway Mall. Appointments can be scheduled at nomihealth.com/nebraska/
Lopez says the COVID-19 Risk Dial remains in the red category, meaning there is a severe risk of spread of the virus. She says the 7-day rolling average for COVID-19 cases increased from 127 on December 26th to 410 at the end of last week. That is a 223 percent increase.
The COVID-19 positivity rate is now at 22.3 percent, with cases expected to rise due to the omicron variant. Lopez says while a mask mandate has not been reinstated, they are continuing to monitor the situation and it remains a possibility in the future.
64.7% of all Lancaster County residents are fully vaccinated. nearly 53 percent of residents age 12 and up, who are eligible, have received a booster or third dose. The health department says 26 percent of children ages 5-11 are fully vaccinated, just over 34 percent have received their first dose.