Lancaster County Commissioner Matt Schulte is calling upon Lancaster County and the city of Lincoln to end their COVID emergency declaration, which has exceeded 152 weeks; over 1,000 days. Schulte says the time has come, because “the pandemic has long been over.”
In a statement, Schulte said, “For nearly two years now, our local and national news has been permeated with dire warnings, mandates, and medical opining related to COVID-19. Cases of COVID are a fraction of what they were in the height of the pandemic. The vast majority of regulations have been lifted for months; masking requirements have been gone from public venues for nearly a year. Vaccines have been available to the general public for more than a year.”
Schulte brought the idea forward at County Board of Commissioners’ regular Thursday meeting. This has begun the first public conversation regarding an end to the emergency measures among locally elected officials. Schulte told KLIN News it would take a vote by the Board of Commissioners to end the emergency in the county. The city has its own measures, and it is possible for one entity’s declaration to continue without the other.
“That’s what we have going on right now,” Schulte said. “The state of Nebraska ended their COVID emergency declaration in June of 2021.”
Although Nebraska ended its emergency about 20 months ago, both Lancaster County and Lincoln have carried on theirs. Schulte tells KLIN News, however, that he is encountering resistance from both the Lincoln-Lancaster Health Department and some of his fellow commissioners. Regarding the former, Schulte told KLIN News, “The health department really likes being in the place of influence that they are in our county, so they don’t want to let that go.
They’re also concerned that people would stop getting vaccines and things like that. I don’t think that’s a reality.”
Despite the reluctance of others, Schulte believes the time has come to end the status quo. He cites a large number of resources, time, and money being spent on COVID every week, from press conferences to collecting data, as why. Schulte says the local authorities should move on to more pressing matters, such as addressing mental health in the state.
“COVID-19 was a serious disease that negatively impacted so many lives, and mine included,” said Schulte. “But the major threat to the general population is over, and I just feel like it’s time to move forward by ending the COVID emergency declaration.”