News Release<figure>
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Cases of COVID-19 in Hall County rise to 1,338, 35 deaths


After a two-month hiatus, the Prescription Drug Collection will
recommence on May 16, 2020, at the Platte River Mall from 11:00 am-
1:00 pm. All volunteers will be practicing social distancing as well
as wearing gloves and masks so as to continue to follow CoVid-19
precautions. 


We are excited to be able to
continue hosting this resource for the community. We will continue to
adhere to CDC guidelines for future collections for as long as
necessary.

News Release
After a two-month hiatus, the Prescription Drug Collection will
recommence on May 16, 2020, at the Platte River Mall from 11:00 am-
1:00 pm. All volunteers will be practicing social distancing as well
as wearing gloves and masks so as to continue to follow CoVid-19
precautions. 
We are excited to be able to
continue hosting this resource for the community. We will continue to
adhere to CDC guidelines for future collections for as long as
necessary.

Prescription Drug Collections return to North Platte

LINCOLN, Neb.-Governor Pete Ricketts announced that less restrictive Directed Health Measures (DHMs) will take effect in three additional regions in southern Nebraska on May 18, 2020.&nbsp; These regions are the South Heartland, Public Health Solutions, and Two Rivers districts.

The Governor also issued guidance to resume baseball and softball in June, with enhanced physical distancing measures in place for the safety of athletes, coaches, and spectators.&nbsp; Practices will be permitted starting on June 1st, and games can take place as of June 18th.&nbsp; Department of Education Commissioner Matthew Blomstedt joined Gov. Ricketts to talk about the resumption of youth sports.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Additionally, Governor Ricketts highlighted new business reopening guidelines posted online today by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).&nbsp; These documents provide guidance to salons/barber shops, massage therapy services, and body art services as they reopen.

Gov. Ricketts: Guidelines for Reopening Businesses

Full video of today’s press briefing will be available after 5:30 p.m. by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fsh%2Fjibguxil57mbngd%2FAADySA2xMufYcvqL89VT13Loa%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C79fb542a072341bcdb9608d7f5f20d95%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637248292261746779&amp;sdata=Z7cbaMqM9NYA6Qi%2FqmCQW%2FbopiGEdJCLQIit6T9uu24%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589243650429.png" alt="Gov. Ricketts (podium) and Nebraska Department of Education Commissioner Matthew Blomstedt (standing, far left) at today’s press conference." />
 <figcaption>Gov. Ricketts (podium) and Nebraska Department of Education Commissioner Matthew Blomstedt (standing, far left) at today’s press conference.</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb.-Governor Pete Ricketts announced that less restrictive Directed Health Measures (DHMs) will take effect in three additional regions in southern Nebraska on May 18, 2020.&nbsp; These regions are the South Heartland, Public Health Solutions, and Two Rivers districts.The Governor also issued guidance to resume baseball and softball in June, with enhanced physical distancing measures in place for the safety of athletes, coaches, and spectators.&nbsp; Practices will be permitted starting on June 1st, and games can take place as of June 18th.&nbsp; Department of Education Commissioner Matthew Blomstedt joined Gov. Ricketts to talk about the resumption of youth sports.&nbsp; &nbsp;Additionally, Governor Ricketts highlighted new business reopening guidelines posted online today by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).&nbsp; These documents provide guidance to salons/barber shops, massage therapy services, and body art services as they reopen.Gov. Ricketts: DHM Updates<ol>
 <li>Today, we are announcing that three more Local Health Departments (LHDs) will be moving to less restrictive Directed Health Measures effective May 18th.South Heartland DistrictPublic Health SolutionsTwo RiversThe revised DHMs for these three districts (effective May 18th, as well as the new DHM for the Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department (effective May 13th, are available&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fsh%2Fzsqzco1gxpahba6%2FAAC1YSx2NcUwJEuWp-p2LldEa%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C79fb542a072341bcdb9608d7f5f20d95%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637248292261726867&amp;sdata=vNytCHdVeETQAYhkTpx%2BB5XiSNg89dTVYeXiC3dWMpk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>.A map of Nebraska’s LHDs is available at&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Local-Health-Departments.aspx" target="_blank">dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Local-Health-Departments.aspx</a>.</li><li>South Heartland District</li><li>Public Health Solutions</li><li>Two RiversThe revised DHMs for these three districts (effective May 18th, as well as the new DHM for the Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department (effective May 13th, are available&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fsh%2Fzsqzco1gxpahba6%2FAAC1YSx2NcUwJEuWp-p2LldEa%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C79fb542a072341bcdb9608d7f5f20d95%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637248292261726867&amp;sdata=vNytCHdVeETQAYhkTpx%2BB5XiSNg89dTVYeXiC3dWMpk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>.A map of Nebraska’s LHDs is available at&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Local-Health-Departments.aspx" target="_blank">dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Local-Health-Departments.aspx</a>.</li><li>The revised DHMs for these three districts (effective May 18th, as well as the new DHM for the Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department (effective May 13th, are available&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fsh%2Fzsqzco1gxpahba6%2FAAC1YSx2NcUwJEuWp-p2LldEa%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C79fb542a072341bcdb9608d7f5f20d95%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637248292261726867&amp;sdata=vNytCHdVeETQAYhkTpx%2BB5XiSNg89dTVYeXiC3dWMpk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>A map of Nebraska’s LHDs is available at&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Local-Health-Departments.aspx" target="_blank">dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Local-Health-Departments.aspx</a>.</li><li>These less restrictive DHMs:Allow for the limited reopening of dine-in services at restaurants and of salons, barber shops, tattoo parlors, and massage therapy services.&nbsp;Increase the per room/space childcare limits from 10 to 15 kids (subject to the usual child-to-staff ratios).</li><li>Allow for the limited reopening of dine-in services at restaurants and of salons, barber shops, tattoo parlors, and massage therapy services.&nbsp;</li><li>Increase the per room/space childcare limits from 10 to 15 kids (subject to the usual child-to-staff ratios).</li><li>Decisions to revise the DHMs for these regions were made in consultation with local health departments.</li>
 </ol>Gov. Ricketts: Sports<ol>
 <li>We have been receiving a lot of questions about youth sports.</li><li>We want to encourage people to take advantage of the outdoors with appropriately socially distanced exercise.</li><li>Through May 31st:The current DHM prohibits organized team sports for youth and adults through May 31, 2020. &nbsp;It will remain in effect through the end of the month.</li><li>The current DHM prohibits organized team sports for youth and adults through May 31, 2020. &nbsp;It will remain in effect through the end of the month.</li><li>Starting June 1st:Schools are permitted to open weight rooms for use by all student-athletes as long as they follow the same guidelines as fitness centers/clubs, gymnasiums, health clubs, and health spas.Organized team practices for baseball and softball may begin unless circumstances dictate a change in date.</li><li>Schools are permitted to open weight rooms for use by all student-athletes as long as they follow the same guidelines as fitness centers/clubs, gymnasiums, health clubs, and health spas.</li><li>Organized team practices for baseball and softball may begin unless circumstances dictate a change in date.</li><li>Starting June 18th:Baseball and softball games may begin unless circumstances dictate a change in date.</li><li>Baseball and softball games may begin unless circumstances dictate a change in date.</li><li>Detailed guidelines for the play of organized baseball and softball are available by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Fhn7gy2de7efaqhv%2FBaseball%2520Softball%2520Guidelines%25205.11.20.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C79fb542a072341bcdb9608d7f5f20d95%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637248292261726867&amp;sdata=wmuUA2SjubWMie3JDtG9TqX5IWUG90fUWmnZwsfIE%2Fk%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>. &nbsp;</li>
 </ol>Commissioner Blomstedt: Sports<ol>
 <li>We’re exploring what’s safe and what works best for team sports.</li><li>As we restart baseball and softball, we expect to learn best practices for mitigating the spread of the virus that we can apply to other sports.</li><li>For instance, in developing guidelines for baseball and softball, we’ve identified safety protocols—such as not sharing drinks or snacks and using your own equipment—that are transferable to other activities.</li><li>We’ll also figure out protocols for the safe use of school facilities.</li><li>We’ll share these insights and best practices on&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.launchne.com%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C79fb542a072341bcdb9608d7f5f20d95%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637248292261736824&amp;sdata=dVly4MD%2FwVWIasNvD7EjUIwwJJMb9VAaEdRf2RMRHfw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">www.launchne.com</a>.</li>
 </ol>Gov. Ricketts: TestNebraska<ol>
 <li>We continue to encourage people to take the&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ftestnebraska.com%2F&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C79fb542a072341bcdb9608d7f5f20d95%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637248292261736824&amp;sdata=6BzhPsbjclA%2FIVkaGq2EK3zbDM65zG46FSFt4y04CDM%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">TestNebraska.com</a>&nbsp;assessment.</li><li>So far, we’ve received 2,358 test results from our Test Nebraska mobile testing sites.&nbsp; Of these tests, 80 have been positive.</li><li>Today, we’re announcing plans to open a mobile testing site in Lexington.Test Nebraska sites in Schuyler, Grand Island, Lincoln, and Omaha are also ongoing this week.More mobile testing sites will be announced in the near future.</li><li>Test Nebraska sites in Schuyler, Grand Island, Lincoln, and Omaha are also ongoing this week.</li><li>More mobile testing sites will be announced in the near future.</li><li>On Friday, we opened up the opportunity for testing through Test Nebraska to anyone 65 and older.Scheduling for testing has filled up quickly for Lincoln and Omaha.More testing slots will be opening up, so we encourage people to be patient.We also understand that the DHHS coronavirus hotline has been seeing a significant uptick in phone calls over the weekend.We ask for your patience. &nbsp;We are working to provide additional support so our team can help resolve questions you may have.</li><li>Scheduling for testing has filled up quickly for Lincoln and Omaha.</li><li>More testing slots will be opening up, so we encourage people to be patient.</li><li>We also understand that the DHHS coronavirus hotline has been seeing a significant uptick in phone calls over the weekend.</li><li>We ask for your patience. &nbsp;We are working to provide additional support so our team can help resolve questions you may have.</li>
 </ol>Gov. Ricketts: Election on May 12th<ol>
 <li>Tomorrow is Election Day.</li><li>I want to remind people who have not turned in their early ballot to drop it off at their local election office. &nbsp;Do not mail it.</li><li>I also want to assure people who are voting in-person that the Secretary of State has taken significant steps to make sure people can vote safely.</li><li>Additionally, I have signed an Executive Order allowing for the Nebraska National Guard to provide support for poll workers tomorrow.Our Guardsmen and women are receiving poll worker training today.They will provide support to the following counties at the request of the Secretary of State:Dakota, Dawson, Douglas, Hall, Lancaster, Lincoln, Madison, and Scotts Bluff.</li><li>Our Guardsmen and women are receiving poll worker training today.</li><li>They will provide support to the following counties at the request of the Secretary of State:Dakota, Dawson, Douglas, Hall, Lancaster, Lincoln, Madison, and Scotts Bluff.</li><li>Dakota, Dawson, Douglas, Hall, Lancaster, Lincoln, Madison, and Scotts Bluff.</li>
 </ol>Gov. Ricketts: Guidelines for Reopening Businesses<ol>
 <li>Today, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) posted guidance for additional business sectors as they reopen.</li><li>Reopening guidelines are now available for salons/barber shops, massage therapy services, and body art services by&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/COVID-19-Nebraska-Guidance-Documents.aspx" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.</li>
 </ol>Full video of today’s press briefing will be available after 5:30 p.m. by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fsh%2Fjibguxil57mbngd%2FAADySA2xMufYcvqL89VT13Loa%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7C79fb542a072341bcdb9608d7f5f20d95%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637248292261746779&amp;sdata=Z7cbaMqM9NYA6Qi%2FqmCQW%2FbopiGEdJCLQIit6T9uu24%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.

Gov. Ricketts announces relaxed directed health measures in more regions, issues guidance on summer sports

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Gov. Pete Ricketts pushed back Monday against four Nebraska lawmakers who urged him to cancel a $27 million coronavirus testing contract with a group of out-of-state startup companies, calling their criticism "ludicrous" even though the program hasn't kept up with demand.

Ricketts defended the state's agreement with Utah-based Nomi Health and its partnering companies but acknowledged some early problems with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.testnebraska.com/en" target="_blank">TestNebraska&nbsp;</a>program. The same companies have similar no-bid contracts with Iowa and Utah that have come under scrutiny as states scramble to conduct more tests.

The senators - all Democrats in the officially nonpartisan Legislature - sent an open letter Monday to the Republican governor calling on him to spend the money on Nebraska-based public health labs and health care providers.

"During this economic crisis it is also vitally important that every dollar we have be prioritized for reinvestment into Nebraska to strengthen our existing health care infrastructure," said the letter signed by state Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh, Carol Blood, Megan Hunt and Rick Kolowski.

The senators said Nomi hasn't yet delivered the contractually required number of daily tests or met the 48-hour turnaround time for test results.

When Ricketts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4680166177edf78b7f0ef9501f0efc6c" target="_blank">announced the contract</a>&nbsp;on April 21, he said the partnership would allow the state to test up to 3,000 residents per day after a five-week ramp-up period. The ramp-up started about three weeks ago and the companies haven't yet reached that goal. And in the hard-hit Grand Island area, some residents have waited longer than 48 hours for their results.

At his weekday coronavirus news conference, Ricketts said it wasn't practical to pump more money into Nebraska's permanent testing facilities at the state public health lab or the University of Nebraska Medical Center because both have reached their capacity and neither facility has space for additional equipment. He argued that state officials had to act quickly to secure the contract with Nomi and the other companies or they might have lost the opportunity to provide more tests.

"This is new for all of us, right?" Ricketts said. "You're not going to find a lot of companies that have tons of experience in testing in a pandemic, since this is the first one we've had in 100 years. So on the face of it, the senators' statement is ludicrous."

He later added: "I don't understand why they don't want more testing here in the state. We found a way to be able to do it. They should be happy we're doing more testing."

State officials have set up three mobile TestNebraska testing sites so far in hard-hit Omaha, Lincoln and Grand Island, using equipment and test kits purchased from the companies. A fourth site was set to open Monday in Schuyler.

Ricketts said the state received 2,358 test results from the sites last week, and 80 of those were positive for the virus.

He said demand for the tests overwhelmed the Lincoln and Omaha sites on Friday, and not everyone was able to get tested. Callers also overloaded the state's new TestNebraska hotline, which didn't have enough staff members to answer calls.

"We just ask for Nebraskans' patience as we go through this process," he said.

Meanwhile, Nebraska health officials reported two more COVID-19 deaths in the state in their daily briefing, bringing the state's death toll from the disease to 98.

Of the two deaths reported Sunday, one was in Douglas County. No information was immediately available on the second death.

The state also reported more confirmed cases of COVID-19. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said the number of confirmed cases in the state increased by more than 80 on Sunday, to 8,315. The actual number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

For some infected people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

By GRANT SCHULTE-Associated PressOMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Gov. Pete Ricketts pushed back Monday against four Nebraska lawmakers who urged him to cancel a $27 million coronavirus testing contract with a group of out-of-state startup companies, calling their criticism "ludicrous" even though the program hasn't kept up with demand.Ricketts defended the state's agreement with Utah-based Nomi Health and its partnering companies but acknowledged some early problems with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.testnebraska.com/en" target="_blank">TestNebraska&nbsp;</a>program. The same companies have similar no-bid contracts with Iowa and Utah that have come under scrutiny as states scramble to conduct more tests.The senators - all Democrats in the officially nonpartisan Legislature - sent an open letter Monday to the Republican governor calling on him to spend the money on Nebraska-based public health labs and health care providers."During this economic crisis it is also vitally important that every dollar we have be prioritized for reinvestment into Nebraska to strengthen our existing health care infrastructure," said the letter signed by state Sens. Machaela Cavanaugh, Carol Blood, Megan Hunt and Rick Kolowski.The senators said Nomi hasn't yet delivered the contractually required number of daily tests or met the 48-hour turnaround time for test results.When Ricketts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/4680166177edf78b7f0ef9501f0efc6c" target="_blank">announced the contract</a>&nbsp;on April 21, he said the partnership would allow the state to test up to 3,000 residents per day after a five-week ramp-up period. The ramp-up started about three weeks ago and the companies haven't yet reached that goal. And in the hard-hit Grand Island area, some residents have waited longer than 48 hours for their results.At his weekday coronavirus news conference, Ricketts said it wasn't practical to pump more money into Nebraska's permanent testing facilities at the state public health lab or the University of Nebraska Medical Center because both have reached their capacity and neither facility has space for additional equipment. He argued that state officials had to act quickly to secure the contract with Nomi and the other companies or they might have lost the opportunity to provide more tests."This is new for all of us, right?" Ricketts said. "You're not going to find a lot of companies that have tons of experience in testing in a pandemic, since this is the first one we've had in 100 years. So on the face of it, the senators' statement is ludicrous."He later added: "I don't understand why they don't want more testing here in the state. We found a way to be able to do it. They should be happy we're doing more testing."State officials have set up three mobile TestNebraska testing sites so far in hard-hit Omaha, Lincoln and Grand Island, using equipment and test kits purchased from the companies. A fourth site was set to open Monday in Schuyler.Ricketts said the state received 2,358 test results from the sites last week, and 80 of those were positive for the virus.He said demand for the tests overwhelmed the Lincoln and Omaha sites on Friday, and not everyone was able to get tested. Callers also overloaded the state's new TestNebraska hotline, which didn't have enough staff members to answer calls."We just ask for Nebraskans' patience as we go through this process," he said.Meanwhile, Nebraska health officials reported two more COVID-19 deaths in the state in their daily briefing, bringing the state's death toll from the disease to 98.Of the two deaths reported Sunday, one was in Douglas County. No information was immediately available on the second death.The state also reported more confirmed cases of COVID-19. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said the number of confirmed cases in the state increased by more than 80 on Sunday, to 8,315. The actual number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.For some infected people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

Ricketts pushes back on criticism of TestNebraska contract

Public Health Command Center daily update from North Platte on May 11, 2020.

Public Health Command Center daily update from North Platte on May 11, 2020.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fwcdhd%2Fvideos%2F271097120690609%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>

🎥 Public Health Command Center Update from North Platte (May 11, 2020)

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Two former employees of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services did not retaliate against a prisoner who reported a sexual assault eight years ago by a prison guard, a judge has ruled.

The guard, Anthony Hansen, was eventually convicted of sexually assaulting the inmate in 2012 at the Omaha Correctional Center. But the lawsuit concerned the inmate's treatment after he reported the assault.

He alleged an interview of him and his subsequent placement in a segregated unit were punishment, The Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://www.omaha.com/news/crime/inmate-claimed-he-was-penalized-for-reporting-rape-by-nebraska-prison-guard-judge-says-otherwise/article_860a208f-ca8f-5181-b9fd-4edde8e2214f.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. He sued Michael Kenney, a former warden, and Geoff Britton, an investigator who is retired from the Nebraska corrections department.

District Judge Michael Coffey ruled the inmate was placed in the special housing unit at the Omaha Correctional Center for his protection, not as punishment. He said the unit has several restrictive housing situations but not all of them are punitive.

"In a situation where an inmate ... (is) the victim of a sexual assault, it is the best practice for the correctional facility to place the inmate in protective custody for his own protection," Coffey wrote.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Two former employees of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services did not retaliate against a prisoner who reported a sexual assault eight years ago by a prison guard, a judge has ruled.The guard, Anthony Hansen, was eventually convicted of sexually assaulting the inmate in 2012 at the Omaha Correctional Center. But the lawsuit concerned the inmate's treatment after he reported the assault.He alleged an interview of him and his subsequent placement in a segregated unit were punishment, The Omaha World-Herald&nbsp;<a href="https://www.omaha.com/news/crime/inmate-claimed-he-was-penalized-for-reporting-rape-by-nebraska-prison-guard-judge-says-otherwise/article_860a208f-ca8f-5181-b9fd-4edde8e2214f.html" target="_blank">reported</a>. He sued Michael Kenney, a former warden, and Geoff Britton, an investigator who is retired from the Nebraska corrections department.District Judge Michael Coffey ruled the inmate was placed in the special housing unit at the Omaha Correctional Center for his protection, not as punishment. He said the unit has several restrictive housing situations but not all of them are punitive."In a situation where an inmate ... (is) the victim of a sexual assault, it is the best practice for the correctional facility to place the inmate in protective custody for his own protection," Coffey wrote.

Judge: Nebraska Corrections employees didn't retaliate against inmate

Guidelines for restarting of youth sports in Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb.&nbsp;-&nbsp;The&nbsp;University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)&nbsp;is partnering with&nbsp;COVAXX, a subsidiary of United Biomedical, a recognized leader in antibody diagnostics and vaccine development, to provide large-scale, high-quality COVID-19 antibody diagnostic testing and processing.

UNMC and COVAXX signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the past week, with large-scale testing expected to begin in the very near future.

“There is an immediate need in the United States to provide trusted lab-based antibody testing and processing on a massive scale to help our society develop important strategies against COVID-19, so that our communities can return to work safely and with confidence,” UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., said. “We are pleased to partner with COVAXX for this important work.”

“Through its expertise as the home to the Global Center for Health Security, as well as the National Training, Simulation and Quarantine Center (TSQC) and one of the nation’s largest biocontainment units, UNMC is the ideal partner to ensure that antibody tests are being processed quickly and accurately, providing the essential information needed to allow Americans to return to work,” said Jon Harrison, Chief Strategy Officer of COVAXX, a company based in Hauppauge, N.Y.

The UNMC/COVAXX partnership will provide a comprehensive end-to-end solution to process tens of thousands of COVID-19 antibody tests per day. After an initial partnership with the Omaha Fire Department, this work will include serving other health care workers, first responders, military, schools, agriculture enterprises, businesses and non-profit and large-scale organizations across communities in Nebraska and throughout the United States. The partnership is focused on providing large-scale testing for organizations, not one-off testing for individuals.

“We are excited to work with the top medical research institution in this field to do our part to scale up the number of antibody tests that can be processed each day,” Harrison said.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mei Mei Hu, COVAXX co-CEO added, “Comprehensive, cross-organizational COVID-19 collaborations like this are vital to protect our communities and provide government, business and organization leaders the necessary tools and confidence to break free from this pandemic and restart society and the economy in a safe way.”

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 </figure>OMAHA, Neb.&nbsp;-&nbsp;The&nbsp;University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC)&nbsp;is partnering with&nbsp;COVAXX, a subsidiary of United Biomedical, a recognized leader in antibody diagnostics and vaccine development, to provide large-scale, high-quality COVID-19 antibody diagnostic testing and processing.UNMC and COVAXX signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the past week, with large-scale testing expected to begin in the very near future.“There is an immediate need in the United States to provide trusted lab-based antibody testing and processing on a massive scale to help our society develop important strategies against COVID-19, so that our communities can return to work safely and with confidence,” UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., said. “We are pleased to partner with COVAXX for this important work.”“Through its expertise as the home to the Global Center for Health Security, as well as the National Training, Simulation and Quarantine Center (TSQC) and one of the nation’s largest biocontainment units, UNMC is the ideal partner to ensure that antibody tests are being processed quickly and accurately, providing the essential information needed to allow Americans to return to work,” said Jon Harrison, Chief Strategy Officer of COVAXX, a company based in Hauppauge, N.Y.The UNMC/COVAXX partnership will provide a comprehensive end-to-end solution to process tens of thousands of COVID-19 antibody tests per day. After an initial partnership with the Omaha Fire Department, this work will include serving other health care workers, first responders, military, schools, agriculture enterprises, businesses and non-profit and large-scale organizations across communities in Nebraska and throughout the United States. The partnership is focused on providing large-scale testing for organizations, not one-off testing for individuals.“We are excited to work with the top medical research institution in this field to do our part to scale up the number of antibody tests that can be processed each day,” Harrison said.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mei Mei Hu, COVAXX co-CEO added, “Comprehensive, cross-organizational COVID-19 collaborations like this are vital to protect our communities and provide government, business and organization leaders the necessary tools and confidence to break free from this pandemic and restart society and the economy in a safe way.”

UNMC announces antibody testing partnership 

OMAHA, Neb. (UNMC)-Protecting the lungs from risks such as chemicals and dust is critical to keeping agricultural producers healthy.&nbsp;

Despite current shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers and agricultural workers still need respiratory protection for many tasks in agriculture. The Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, in partnership with the Ag Health and Safety Alliance and the High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety have developed recommendations for conserving respiratory inventory while supplies are limited.

Reuse of two-strap disposable respirators is not recommended practice, but in a time of limited availability, it may need to be considered. This type of respirator should only be reused within the following guidelines:

If using a reusable respirator such as a half-facepiece, full-facepiece or powered air-purifying respirator, the following recommendations should be observed:

A guide for choosing agricultural respiratory protection can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/cscash/_documents/outreach_resp_selection_guide_jun14.pdf" target="_blank">www.unmc.edu/publichealth/cscash/_documents/outreach_resp_selection_guide_jun14.pdf</a>

Cloth face coverings are not an acceptable replacement for a respirator at preventing exposure to respiratory hazards in the agricultural workplace. They should only be used as a means of infection control.

In order&nbsp;to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing cloth face coverings in a public setting where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery stores, farm supply stores, machinery dealerships, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. This practice may help people who have the virus and not know it from spreading it to others, but it does not provide you with protection from any other respiratory hazards or COVID-19.&nbsp;Follow CDC guidance for cleaning and removing cloth face coverings:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html" target="_blank">www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html</a>

Consider alternative controls that reduce exposure to respiratory hazards and thus reduce reliance on personal protective equipment (PPE). Examples include:

When applying pesticides, the label is still the law. You must wear the PPE required by the product labels. If the label required respirator is not available, consider using a respirator that provides greater respiratory protection.

To find out more about best practices for&nbsp;respiratory protection during the COVID-19 pandemic visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/cscash/_documents/COVID-19-Respirator-Reuse.pdf" target="_blank">www.unmc.edu/publichealth/cscash/_documents/COVID-19-Respirator-Reuse.pdf</a>

OMAHA, Neb. (UNMC)-Protecting the lungs from risks such as chemicals and dust is critical to keeping agricultural producers healthy.&nbsp;Despite current shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, farmers and agricultural workers still need respiratory protection for many tasks in agriculture. The Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, in partnership with the Ag Health and Safety Alliance and the High Plains Intermountain Center for Agricultural Health and Safety have developed recommendations for conserving respiratory inventory while supplies are limited.Reuse of two-strap disposable respirators is not recommended practice, but in a time of limited availability, it may need to be considered. This type of respirator should only be reused within the following guidelines:<ol>
 <li>A disposable respirator can be worn more than once, but it cannot be shared with another person.</li><li>Store respirator in a clean, dry place between uses.</li><li>Conduct&nbsp;seal checks&nbsp;each time you put on or adjust the respirator.&nbsp;(CS-CASH seal check video:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Inww-1avg" target="_blank">www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8Inww-1avg</a>)</li><li>Do not attempt to clean the respirator with disinfectants, wipes, soap and water, or an air compressor.</li><li>Avoid putting on, taking off or adjusting the mask with contaminated hands. Wash your hands before and after adjusting or removal.</li><li>Discontinue use and throw away when it is splashed on, becomes dirty, becomes difficult to breathe, or when a seal cannot be obtained.</li>
 </ol>If using a reusable respirator such as a half-facepiece, full-facepiece or powered air-purifying respirator, the following recommendations should be observed:<ol>
 <li>Clean and sanitize the respirator after each use. This type of respirator can be shared only if it is&nbsp;cleaned and sanitized properly.</li><li>Store respirator in a clean, dry place between uses.</li><li>Avoid putting on, taking off or adjusting the mask with contaminated hands. Wash your hands before and after adjusting or removing them.</li><li>Change P100 filters after eight hours or 30 days, whichever comes first. If there is a shortage, continue to wear the P100 filter until it becomes dirty or difficult to breathe comfortably.</li><li>Change cartridges according to the manufacturer’s recommendations. If there is a shortage, change the cartridge when you can smell or taste what you are protecting yourself against.</li><li>To prolong the life of the cartridge, add pre-filters to cartridges that don’t have built-in pre-filters.</li><li>Check and replace valves and head cradle as needed to ensure the respirator is in good working order.</li>
 </ol>A guide for choosing agricultural respiratory protection can be found at:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/cscash/_documents/outreach_resp_selection_guide_jun14.pdf" target="_blank">www.unmc.edu/publichealth/cscash/_documents/outreach_resp_selection_guide_jun14.pdf</a>Cloth face coverings are not an acceptable replacement for a respirator at preventing exposure to respiratory hazards in the agricultural workplace. They should only be used as a means of infection control.In order&nbsp;to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends wearing cloth face coverings in a public setting where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery stores, farm supply stores, machinery dealerships, especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. This practice may help people who have the virus and not know it from spreading it to others, but it does not provide you with protection from any other respiratory hazards or COVID-19.&nbsp;Follow CDC guidance for cleaning and removing cloth face coverings:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html" target="_blank">www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html</a>Consider alternative controls that reduce exposure to respiratory hazards and thus reduce reliance on personal protective equipment (PPE). Examples include:<ol>
 <li>Eliminate the process/task that creates hazardous dust or gases.</li><li>Use an alternative pesticide product that requires less PPE or the PPE that you have available.</li><li>Ventilate and control dust at its source to reduce exposure in confined spaces.</li><li>Hire an applicator or other contractor who has the required PPE.</li>
 </ol>When applying pesticides, the label is still the law. You must wear the PPE required by the product labels. If the label required respirator is not available, consider using a respirator that provides greater respiratory protection.To find out more about best practices for&nbsp;respiratory protection during the COVID-19 pandemic visit:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.unmc.edu/publichealth/cscash/_documents/COVID-19-Respirator-Reuse.pdf" target="_blank">www.unmc.edu/publichealth/cscash/_documents/COVID-19-Respirator-Reuse.pdf</a>

UNMC ag center offers respiratory protection recommendations during COVID-19 pandemic

OMAHA, Neb.-Due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings, Creighton University will hold a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.creighton.edu/commencement/" target="_blank">virtual degree-conferral ceremony</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, May 16, at 1 p.m., and will confer 2,205 degrees. The University also will host other virtual school and college celebrations on Friday, May 15, to celebrate the momentous milestone.

Almost 1,600 students will be participating in the online ceremony, with photos and messages from the graduates, an address by Creighton University President the Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, SJ, Ph.D., and ending with the turn of the tassel at the conclusion of the ceremony.

Also being recognized with honorary degrees will be Linda Hunt, CEO of Dignity Health Arizona, and&nbsp;the four founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF, which is based on the Creighton campus.

Under Hunt’s leadership, Dignity Health Arizona has grown into a respected, comprehensive health care system that includes five hospitals and multiple imaging centers, specialty hospitals, physician groups, clinics, freestanding emergency rooms and more. She is an important state and national voice in shaping the future of health care and medical education and has received local and national recognition for her transformational health care leadership.

Kathleen Kanavy is the director of spiritual direction formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation. She earned a Master of Arts in Christian Spirituality in 1993 from Creighton with further training in spiritual direction and supervision. She has served as an IPF faculty member, spiritual director, supervisor and retreat director. She received consecration as a consecrated lay woman in 1995.

For 25 years, the Rev. Richard Gabuzda, STD, has served as executive director of the Institute for Priestly Formation. Ordained in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, he was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Omaha in October 2015, at which time he also became a moderator of the IPF Priests of St. Joseph, a clerical public association of priests dedicated to caring for the spiritual life of diocesan priests.

The Rev. John Horn, SJ, is a Jesuit of the Maryland Province. Fr. Horn served as assistant director of the institute from its founding until 2011 when he became rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. Currently, he is a professor of spiritual and pastoral theology at St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida.

The Rev. George Aschenbrenner, SJ, is the former Jesuit rector at the University of Scranton, and a renowned author, retreat leader, and expert on the&nbsp;Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

OMAHA, Neb.-Due to COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings, Creighton University will hold a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.creighton.edu/commencement/" target="_blank">virtual degree-conferral ceremony</a>&nbsp;on Saturday, May 16, at 1 p.m., and will confer 2,205 degrees. The University also will host other virtual school and college celebrations on Friday, May 15, to celebrate the momentous milestone.Almost 1,600 students will be participating in the online ceremony, with photos and messages from the graduates, an address by Creighton University President the Rev. Daniel Hendrickson, SJ, Ph.D., and ending with the turn of the tassel at the conclusion of the ceremony.Also being recognized with honorary degrees will be Linda Hunt, CEO of Dignity Health Arizona, and&nbsp;the four founders of the Institute for Priestly Formation (IPF, which is based on the Creighton campus.Under Hunt’s leadership, Dignity Health Arizona has grown into a respected, comprehensive health care system that includes five hospitals and multiple imaging centers, specialty hospitals, physician groups, clinics, freestanding emergency rooms and more. She is an important state and national voice in shaping the future of health care and medical education and has received local and national recognition for her transformational health care leadership.Kathleen Kanavy is the director of spiritual direction formation for the Institute for Priestly Formation. She earned a Master of Arts in Christian Spirituality in 1993 from Creighton with further training in spiritual direction and supervision. She has served as an IPF faculty member, spiritual director, supervisor and retreat director. She received consecration as a consecrated lay woman in 1995.For 25 years, the Rev. Richard Gabuzda, STD, has served as executive director of the Institute for Priestly Formation. Ordained in the Diocese of Scranton, Pennsylvania, he was incardinated into the Archdiocese of Omaha in October 2015, at which time he also became a moderator of the IPF Priests of St. Joseph, a clerical public association of priests dedicated to caring for the spiritual life of diocesan priests.The Rev. John Horn, SJ, is a Jesuit of the Maryland Province. Fr. Horn served as assistant director of the institute from its founding until 2011 when he became rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis. Currently, he is a professor of spiritual and pastoral theology at St. Vincent De Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Florida.The Rev. George Aschenbrenner, SJ, is the former Jesuit rector at the University of Scranton, and a renowned author, retreat leader, and expert on the&nbsp;Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

More than 2,200 degrees to be conferred during Creighton University May 16 virtual commencement

NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (GPH)– Great Plains Health announced today it will resume elective surgery and outpatient procedures on May 11. This announcement comes after Governor Ricketts gave approval for healthcare facilities with sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE, staff, ICU beds and necessary supplies to begin elective procedures as early as May 4.

Based on the governor’s guidance, Great Plains Health announced it is beginning the first phase of returning to normal operations for inpatient and outpatient care on May 11. The first phase will include elective surgical procedures and most outpatient services.

“We know that we may never get back to “normal” as we know it, however, we are confident in our ability to adapt,” said Mel McNea Great Plains Health chief executive officer. “We are all looking forward to once again offering full healthcare services to our region and we plan to do so in the safest possible way for our patients and staff. We will continue to monitor supplies of PPE and will remain prepared for an unexpected surge of COVID-19 patients,” said McNea.

Great Plains Health has put in place several safety protocols that include, but are not limited to:

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All surgery staff will be tested for COVID-19 and confirmed negative before participating in any procedure.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Patients scheduled for elective surgical procedures, in-house sleep studies or pulmonary function tests (PFT) will be tested for COVID-19 and a negative result is required before proceeding.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Staff in all Great Plains Health facilities that provide direct patient care will wear masks and goggles or face shields.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All individuals entering Great Plains Health facilities will be asked to wear a mask or other face covering.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All individuals entering Great Plains Health facilities, including employees, will continue to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Visitors will still be restricted. One, symptom-free support person will be allowed for active labor and delivery patients, NICU patients, pediatric patients and emergency department patients.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Six-foot social distances will be established in waiting areas.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Extra cleaning and disinfection of high-touch, public surface areas will continue.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Infectious patients will continue to be cared for in isolation, away from non-infectious patients.

GPHealth outpatient departments will contact patients to reschedule procedures that may have been cancelled and to explain the new safety requirements.

“The safety of our patients and staff is always our top priority,” said Ivan Mitchell, chief operating officer. “We realize that there may be anxiety for some patients when they come to our facility and we are doing all that we can to mitigate that. Our entire team is engaged in the protection of our patients and each other,” said Mitchell.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589219274098.png" alt="Mel McNea, GPH CEO" />
 <figcaption>Mel McNea, GPH CEO</figcaption>
 </figure>News ReleaseNORTH PLATTE, Neb. (GPH)– Great Plains Health announced today it will resume elective surgery and outpatient procedures on May 11. This announcement comes after Governor Ricketts gave approval for healthcare facilities with sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE, staff, ICU beds and necessary supplies to begin elective procedures as early as May 4.Based on the governor’s guidance, Great Plains Health announced it is beginning the first phase of returning to normal operations for inpatient and outpatient care on May 11. The first phase will include elective surgical procedures and most outpatient services.“We know that we may never get back to “normal” as we know it, however, we are confident in our ability to adapt,” said Mel McNea Great Plains Health chief executive officer. “We are all looking forward to once again offering full healthcare services to our region and we plan to do so in the safest possible way for our patients and staff. We will continue to monitor supplies of PPE and will remain prepared for an unexpected surge of COVID-19 patients,” said McNea.Great Plains Health has put in place several safety protocols that include, but are not limited to:·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All surgery staff will be tested for COVID-19 and confirmed negative before participating in any procedure.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Patients scheduled for elective surgical procedures, in-house sleep studies or pulmonary function tests (PFT) will be tested for COVID-19 and a negative result is required before proceeding.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Staff in all Great Plains Health facilities that provide direct patient care will wear masks and goggles or face shields.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All individuals entering Great Plains Health facilities will be asked to wear a mask or other face covering.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All individuals entering Great Plains Health facilities, including employees, will continue to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Visitors will still be restricted. One, symptom-free support person will be allowed for active labor and delivery patients, NICU patients, pediatric patients and emergency department patients.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Six-foot social distances will be established in waiting areas.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Extra cleaning and disinfection of high-touch, public surface areas will continue.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Infectious patients will continue to be cared for in isolation, away from non-infectious patients.GPHealth outpatient departments will contact patients to reschedule procedures that may have been cancelled and to explain the new safety requirements.“The safety of our patients and staff is always our top priority,” said Ivan Mitchell, chief operating officer. “We realize that there may be anxiety for some patients when they come to our facility and we are doing all that we can to mitigate that. Our entire team is engaged in the protection of our patients and each other,” said Mitchell.

Great Plains Health begins first phase of returning to 'normal' operations

All over the country, governors used executive orders to reduce health care licensing restrictions in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Regulatory changes included waiving fees, granting recognition of out-of-state medical personnel licenses, allowing immediate licensure for students who had not quite completed their clinical program, and waiving certain testing requirements for nursing assistants.

This temporary rollback doesn’t stop with professional licensing, though. Nebraska and other states lifted regulations on “carry-out mixed drinks” and curbside food pickup. Extra raw products and supplies (like eggs, milk, flour or toilet paper) that restaurants have on hand can be sold to customers, providing the businesses an outlet for items that might have gone to waste, or which have no immediate use in the current business environment.

These measures are noteworthy because while regulation of business activity and occupations has traditionally been justified as a means of protecting the public's “health, safety, and welfare,” in a pandemic, policymakers recognized that some restrictions could actually endanger the public’s health and economic well-being.

It’s more important than ever for policymakers to have the tools to discern when regulations serve the public interest, or if they create unnecessary barriers to job creation or providing goods and services. Estimates by economists Ernie Goss and Scott Strain suggest that nearly 100,000 Nebraskans lost their jobs by early April alone.&nbsp;&nbsp;

One advantage Nebraska has in the economic recovery is that the Legislature has already taken on efforts to scrutinize laws impacting job creation. In addition to recent reforms lessening barriers to entry in about 20 different career fields, lawmakers have also affirmed the right of Nebraskans to earn an honest living through the state’s Occupational Board Reform Act, which requires a regular review of all state job licensing laws.

We all hope that a “return to normal” is coming soon. But instead of settling for returning to the old regulatory environment when executive orders are lifted, perhaps we should be looking toward legislation which will rid us permanently of the rules and laws that were identified as hindrances during the emergency.

Specifically, there are two areas where lawmakers can continue to make progress.

First, expand the temporary recognition of out-of-state licenses for medical personnel to Universal Recognition of licenses, or substantial career experience, for all licensed occupations.

Governors around the nation did this for medical personnel because it allowed for flexibility and response to an immediate need. In the economic emergency that has followed the pandemic, the same types of needs exist throughout our workforce.

Just as the skills of medical personnel aren’t dependent on their state of origin, a cosmetologist, electrician, or plumber doesn’t lose their skills when they move from another state to ours. Unless there are demonstrable jurisdiction-specific differences, we should accept a license from one state for license-eligibility in our state.

Enabling Universal Recognition of licenses for these workers and entrepreneurs can spur the creation of new firms, provide more services where they are most needed, and create new jobs. 

Second, the lifting of hospitality industry regulations—including “carry-out” alcohol and the ability to sell excess raw products—should be continued. With the in-house service capacity of restaurants likely to remain restricted, we should encourage practices that allow these employers to safely provide as much of the full dining experience to their clientele as possible.

In a time of social distancing, some new regulations Nebraskans are encountering in daily life are truly a necessity for public health and safety, but the economic road back from COVID-19 will still be tough on many. By repealing regulations that didn’t make sense, even during a public health crisis, the government can get out of the way and not make things tougher.

Laura Ebke is a Senior Fellow at the Platte Institute.

The Platte Institute advances policies that remove barriers to growth and opportunity in Nebraska.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/12/1576861250789.jpeg" alt="Laura Ebke-The Platte Institute" />
 <figcaption>Laura Ebke-The Platte Institute</figcaption>
 </figure>By Laura EbkeAll over the country, governors used executive orders to reduce health care licensing restrictions in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Regulatory changes included waiving fees, granting recognition of out-of-state medical personnel licenses, allowing immediate licensure for students who had not quite completed their clinical program, and waiving certain testing requirements for nursing assistants.This temporary rollback doesn’t stop with professional licensing, though. Nebraska and other states lifted regulations on “carry-out mixed drinks” and curbside food pickup. Extra raw products and supplies (like eggs, milk, flour or toilet paper) that restaurants have on hand can be sold to customers, providing the businesses an outlet for items that might have gone to waste, or which have no immediate use in the current business environment.These measures are noteworthy because while regulation of business activity and occupations has traditionally been justified as a means of protecting the public's “health, safety, and welfare,” in a pandemic, policymakers recognized that some restrictions could actually endanger the public’s health and economic well-being.It’s more important than ever for policymakers to have the tools to discern when regulations serve the public interest, or if they create unnecessary barriers to job creation or providing goods and services. Estimates by economists Ernie Goss and Scott Strain suggest that nearly 100,000 Nebraskans lost their jobs by early April alone.&nbsp;&nbsp;One advantage Nebraska has in the economic recovery is that the Legislature has already taken on efforts to scrutinize laws impacting job creation. In addition to recent reforms lessening barriers to entry in about 20 different career fields, lawmakers have also affirmed the right of Nebraskans to earn an honest living through the state’s Occupational Board Reform Act, which requires a regular review of all state job licensing laws.We all hope that a “return to normal” is coming soon. But instead of settling for returning to the old regulatory environment when executive orders are lifted, perhaps we should be looking toward legislation which will rid us permanently of the rules and laws that were identified as hindrances during the emergency.Specifically, there are two areas where lawmakers can continue to make progress.First, expand the temporary recognition of out-of-state licenses for medical personnel to Universal Recognition of licenses, or substantial career experience, for all licensed occupations.Governors around the nation did this for medical personnel because it allowed for flexibility and response to an immediate need. In the economic emergency that has followed the pandemic, the same types of needs exist throughout our workforce.Just as the skills of medical personnel aren’t dependent on their state of origin, a cosmetologist, electrician, or plumber doesn’t lose their skills when they move from another state to ours. Unless there are demonstrable jurisdiction-specific differences, we should accept a license from one state for license-eligibility in our state.Enabling Universal Recognition of licenses for these workers and entrepreneurs can spur the creation of new firms, provide more services where they are most needed, and create new jobs. Second, the lifting of hospitality industry regulations—including “carry-out” alcohol and the ability to sell excess raw products—should be continued. With the in-house service capacity of restaurants likely to remain restricted, we should encourage practices that allow these employers to safely provide as much of the full dining experience to their clientele as possible.In a time of social distancing, some new regulations Nebraskans are encountering in daily life are truly a necessity for public health and safety, but the economic road back from COVID-19 will still be tough on many. By repealing regulations that didn’t make sense, even during a public health crisis, the government can get out of the way and not make things tougher.Laura Ebke is a Senior Fellow at the Platte Institute.The Platte Institute advances policies that remove barriers to growth and opportunity in Nebraska.

Column: Nebraska's job creation emergency

LINCOLN – The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) added hospitalization data to its COVID-19 dashboard. DHHS launched the dashboard in March as an informational resource for Nebraskans. It also provides daily updates to the state's COVID-19 case totals along with other pertinent data. &nbsp;&nbsp;The dashboard is both desktop and mobile friendly and can be found by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>. &nbsp;

The dashboard is one of many valuable COVID-19 resources, including translated materials, on the DHHS coronavirus website. Interested Nebraskans can subscribe on the website and receive an alert via email when new information is posted. As of mid-April, more than 8,900 people had subscribed.

Here's a sample of some of the helpful information you will find at&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>:

Information is also available through other routes.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589210783404.png" alt="Click <a href="https://nebraska.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3JPgNOJTe901lO4CE0MGeMVrY1dzZaCkW_cXK16uuKFgdPF0BTTdCe4Ps#/4213f719a45647bc873ffb58783ffef3">HERE</a> to view the map (screenshot)." />
 <figcaption>Click <a href="https://nebraska.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html?fbclid=IwAR3JPgNOJTe901lO4CE0MGeMVrY1dzZaCkW_cXK16uuKFgdPF0BTTdCe4Ps#/4213f719a45647bc873ffb58783ffef3">HERE</a> to view the map (screenshot).</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN – The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) added hospitalization data to its COVID-19 dashboard. DHHS launched the dashboard in March as an informational resource for Nebraskans. It also provides daily updates to the state's COVID-19 case totals along with other pertinent data. &nbsp;&nbsp;The dashboard is both desktop and mobile friendly and can be found by visiting&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>. &nbsp;The dashboard is one of many valuable COVID-19 resources, including translated materials, on the DHHS coronavirus website. Interested Nebraskans can subscribe on the website and receive an alert via email when new information is posted. As of mid-April, more than 8,900 people had subscribed.Here's a sample of some of the helpful information you will find at&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>:<ol>
 <li>Directed Health Measures (DHM) - All 93 counties in Nebraska are covered by state Directed Health Measures. It's critical that Nebraskans follow these enforceable measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state. In addition to the state-issued DHM, some local health departments have issued additional restrictions.</li><li>Guidance Documents&nbsp;– An extensive list of downloadable Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs, testing information and executive orders.</li><li>Protect Yourself and Others&nbsp;– Ten actions Nebraskans can be taking now to slow the spread of COVID-19 along with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for individuals, businesses and communities.</li><li>Traveler Recommendations&nbsp;– Recommendations for Nebraskans returning from out-of-state or travelers arriving from out-of-state.</li><li>Nebraska Accommodation Project (NAP)&nbsp;– This program initially offered accommodations to first responders to quarantine at participating hotels in an effort to protect their families from potential exposure. Recently the pilot program expanded to offer space for members of the public who are required to quarantine or isolate because of COVID-19.</li><li>News Releases&nbsp;– Find links to all DHHS COVID-19 news releases and in cooperation with other agencies fighting the coronavirus.</li><li>CDC Information&nbsp;– Get the latest updates from the CDC.</li>
 </ol>Information is also available through other routes.<ol>
 <li>DHHS opened a statewide COVID-19 information line to help answer general questions and share the latest information and resources with Nebraskans to help keep them informed. The number is (402) 552-6645; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Central Time, 7 days a week.</li><li>DHHS will continue to update Nebraskans through the DHHS website and on Facebook&nbsp;and Twitter as we have new information. The CDC's website is also a reliable resource for COVID-19 information -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid19" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.</li>
 </ol>

DHHS expands COVID-19 dashboard to include hospitalizations 

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Rapid City Journal) — Casinos in Deadwood, South Dakota, are seeing customers after reopening last week during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Deadwood City Commission voted last Monday to allow businesses to reopen if they follow federal, state and local rules for preventing the spread of the coronavirus. 

The vote came after the Deadwood Gaming Association reported March gambling revenue dropped 20 percent compared with March 2019. 

Mayor David Ruth tells the Rapid City Journal that “Deadwood is open.” 

At Cadillac Jack’s, the casino's general manager says 180 employees were called back to work on Thursday. 

South Dakota health officials on Sunday reported 124 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the state's total to 3,517.

 South Dakota's death toll remains at 34.

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Rapid City Journal) — Casinos in Deadwood, South Dakota, are seeing customers after reopening last week during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Deadwood City Commission voted last Monday to allow businesses to reopen if they follow federal, state and local rules for preventing the spread of the coronavirus. The vote came after the Deadwood Gaming Association reported March gambling revenue dropped 20 percent compared with March 2019. Mayor David Ruth tells the Rapid City Journal that “Deadwood is open.” At Cadillac Jack’s, the casino's general manager says 180 employees were called back to work on Thursday. South Dakota health officials on Sunday reported 124 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the state's total to 3,517. South Dakota's death toll remains at 34.

Deadwood casinos seeing visitors after reopening

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a century’s progress in science, 2020 is looking a lot like 1918.

In the years between two lethal pandemics, one the misnamed Spanish flu, the other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">COVID-19</a>, the world learned about viruses, cured various diseases, made effective vaccines, developed instant communications and created elaborate public-health networks.

Yet here we are again, face-masked to the max. And still unable to crush an insidious yet avoidable infectious disease before hundreds of thousands die from it.

As in 1918, people are again hearing hollow assurances at odds with the reality of hospitals and morgues filling up and bank accounts draining. The ancient common sense of quarantining is back. So is quackery: Rub raw onions on your chest, they said in 1918. How about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7f0a9a77dad8c8722aa54fef45e8667b">disinfectant in your veins</a>&nbsp;now? mused President Donald Trump, drawing gasps instead of laughs over what he weakly tried to pass off as a joke.

In 1918, no one had a vaccine, treatment or cure for the great flu pandemic as it ravaged the world and killed more than 50 million people. No one has any of that for the coronavirus, either.

Modern science quickly identified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak">today’s new coronavirus</a>, mapped its genetic code and developed a diagnostic test, tapping knowledge no one had in 1918. That has given people more of a fighting chance to stay out of harm’s way, at least in countries that deployed tests quickly, which the U.S. didn’t.

But the ways to avoid getting sick and what to do when sick are little changed. The failure of U.S. presidents to take the threat seriously from the start also joins past to present.

Trump all but declared victory before infection took root in his country and he’s delivered a stream of misinformation ever since. President Woodrow Wilson’s principal failure was his silence.

Not once, historians say, did Wilson publicly speak about a disease that was killing Americans grotesquely and in huge numbers, even though he contracted it himself and was never the same after. Wilson fixated on America’s parallel fight in World War I like “a dog with a bone,” says John M. Barry, author of “The Great Influenza.”

The suspected ground zero of the Spanish flu ranges from Kansas to China. But it was clear to U.S. officials even in 1918 that it didn’t start in Spain.

The pandemic took on Spain’s name only because its free press ambitiously reported the devastation in the disease’s early 1918 wave while government officials and a complicit press in countries at war — the U.S. among them — played it down in a time of jingoism, censorship and denial.

Like COVID-19, the 1918 pandemic came from a respiratory virus that jumped from animals to people, was transmitted the same way, and had similar pathology, Barry said by email. Social distancing, hand-washing and masks were leading control measures then and now.

<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-opinion-flashback-1918-flu-pandemic-timeline-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">Medical advice from then&nbsp;</a>also resonates today: “If you get it, stay at home, rest in bed, keep warm, drink hot drinks and stay quiet until the symptoms are past,” said Dr. John Dill Robertson, Chicago health commissioner in 1918. “Then continue to be careful, for the greatest danger is from pneumonia or some kindred disease after the influenza is gone.”

In the manner of the day, there just had to be a catchy rhyme in circulation, too: “Cover up each cough and sneeze. If you don’t you’ll spread disease.”

But there were also marked differences between the viruses of 1918 and 2020. The Spanish flu was particularly dangerous to healthy people aged 20 to 40 — the prime generation of military service — paradoxically because of their vibrant immune systems.

When such people got infected, their antibodies went after the virus like soldiers spilling from the trenches of Europe’s killing fields.

“The immune system was throwing every weapon it had at the virus,” Barry said. “The battlefield was the lung. The lung was being destroyed in that battle.”

Young soldiers and sailors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/pandemic-timeline-1918.htm" target="_blank">massed at military camps</a>&nbsp;in the U.S., sailed for Europe on ships stuffed to the gunwales with humanity, fought side by side in the trenches and came home in victory to adoring crowds. The toll was enormous, on them and the people they infected. The Spanish flu could just as easily have been called the U.S. Army or U.S. Navy flu instead. Or the German or British flu, for that matter.

Among those who died in the pandemic was Friedrich Trump, Donald Trump’s paternal grandfather. Among those who contracted it and recovered were the wartime leaders of Britain and Germany as well as of the United States, British and Spanish kings and the future U.S. president, Franklin Roosevelt, when he was assistant Navy secretary.

But the toll was heavier on average people and the poor, crowded in tenements, street cars and sweaty factories.

They could not all live by the words of the 1918 U.S. surgeon general, Rupert Blue: “Keep out of crowds and stuffy places as much as possible. ... The value of fresh air through open windows cannot be overemphasized. ... Make every possible effort to breath as much pure air as possible.”

An estimated 675,000 Americans died in the pandemic, which is thought to have infected one-third of the global population.&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">Tracking by Johns Hopkins University</a>&nbsp;shows the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 250,000 people globally, more than 68,000 in the United States.

In 1918, the surgeon general noted in a handbill that “a person who has only a mild attack of the disease himself may give a very severe attack to others.” The warning is just as applicable to the coronavirus, especially as scientists learned large numbers of people with COVID-19 may spread it despite no obvious symptoms. Exactly how often the new virus kills can’t be determined without better counts of the infected; some estimates&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291398/" target="_blank">put the 1918 flu’s death rate at 2.5%.</a>

Blue’s public notice also warned people to avoid charlatans and only get medicine from doctors.

Physicians, though, didn’t always know what they were doing. Medical journals at the time describe a rash of unusual treatments, some in the league of Trump’s amateur theories about disinfectant, blasts of lights and an unapproved drug that has both potential benefits and risks.

One 1918-era doctor recommended that people sniff a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) powder to rinse out nasal passages. Others prescribed quinine, strychnine and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation, as well as drugs derived from iodine for “internal disinfection,” according to Laura Spinney, who wrote the 2017 book “Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.”

Popular theories spread that warming your feet would prevent infection, or gobbling brown sugar, or getting the onion rubdown. A “clean heart” was one supposed preventive, though it is not clear whether that meant the organ or the heart of love.

“There was no Tony Fauci back then,” Barry said in a remote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-9104/" target="_blank">Library of Congress interview</a>&nbsp;in April.

We have Fauci now — a federal immunologist who has been regarded as the truth-teller in White House briefings, singularly immune to Trump’s positive spin and falsehoods. Plus, we know so much more than people did in 1918.

Yet we’re still hearing lots of Dark Ages nonsense.

Conspiracy theorists have blamed COVID-19 on the development of 5G networks, just as they say radio waves caused the 1918 flu. Arsonists recently torched more than a dozen British cell towers after that falsehood circulated.

Over the months of this pandemic, The Associated Press has debunked a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/Fact-checking">series of bogus remedies&nbsp;</a>that spread on Facebook, Twitter and the like. No, blasting hot air up your nose from a hair dryer won’t protect you. Nor will drinking tonic water, eating high-alkaline foods, stuffing antibiotic ointment up your nose, downing vodka or any home elixir.

No, it’s not true that if you can’t hold your breath very long, you have COVID-19. Or that a vaccine from a lab only works on a disease created by a lab.

Social distancing has not come with social-media distancing. Over a century of science, we haven’t gone back to the future, but ahead to the past.

In September 1918, as the Spanish flu’s second and by far deadliest wave hit in the U.S., Philadelphia’s public health chief disregarded advisers and let a massive war-bond parade proceed through downtown. The H1N1 virus raced through the masses in what has been called the world’s deadliest parade. As officials insisted there was nothing to be alarmed about, people were seeing neighbors sicken and die with astonishing speed and mass graves being dug.

“It’s just the flu” had worn thin as the mantra of officialdom.

Late that November, sirens wailed in San Francisco to sound the all-clear after six weeks of lockdown and tell people they could remove their masks. San Francisco, like many cities in the West, had been largely spared the first wave and spent the interval preparing for Round 2, mandating masks and jailing people who didn’t comply.

They had a rhyme for that, too, of course: “Obey the laws, and wear the gauze. Protect your jaws from septic paws.”

<a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/influenza-san-francisco/" target="_blank">The precautions paid off&nbsp;</a>with a death rate lower than in afflicted cities elsewhere. But the city relaxed too soon.

In December, thousands of new cases erupted. A wave spilling into the new year was underway. San Francisco’s death toll mounted by more than 1,000. It was the last lashing by the Spanish flu, and a less lethal one.

The brutal lessons of 1918 and 1919? To Barry, who was enlisted 15 years ago in a Bush administration drive to prepare all levels of government for pandemics, they are to respond early, relax cautiously, tell people the truth.

Instead he has seen denial followed by a chaotic federal response and leadership vacuum as Washington and the states compete for the same medical essentials and now move fitfully toward reopening.

“Now we have plans, even war-gamed the plans, spent billions preparing for just what is happening, federal agencies have been tasked to handle all these things, and we get ... next to nothing,” he said.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite a century’s progress in science, 2020 is looking a lot like 1918.In the years between two lethal pandemics, one the misnamed Spanish flu, the other&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">COVID-19</a>, the world learned about viruses, cured various diseases, made effective vaccines, developed instant communications and created elaborate public-health networks.Yet here we are again, face-masked to the max. And still unable to crush an insidious yet avoidable infectious disease before hundreds of thousands die from it.As in 1918, people are again hearing hollow assurances at odds with the reality of hospitals and morgues filling up and bank accounts draining. The ancient common sense of quarantining is back. So is quackery: Rub raw onions on your chest, they said in 1918. How about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/7f0a9a77dad8c8722aa54fef45e8667b">disinfectant in your veins</a>&nbsp;now? mused President Donald Trump, drawing gasps instead of laughs over what he weakly tried to pass off as a joke.In 1918, no one had a vaccine, treatment or cure for the great flu pandemic as it ravaged the world and killed more than 50 million people. No one has any of that for the coronavirus, either.Modern science quickly identified&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak">today’s new coronavirus</a>, mapped its genetic code and developed a diagnostic test, tapping knowledge no one had in 1918. That has given people more of a fighting chance to stay out of harm’s way, at least in countries that deployed tests quickly, which the U.S. didn’t.But the ways to avoid getting sick and what to do when sick are little changed. The failure of U.S. presidents to take the threat seriously from the start also joins past to present.Trump all but declared victory before infection took root in his country and he’s delivered a stream of misinformation ever since. President Woodrow Wilson’s principal failure was his silence.Not once, historians say, did Wilson publicly speak about a disease that was killing Americans grotesquely and in huge numbers, even though he contracted it himself and was never the same after. Wilson fixated on America’s parallel fight in World War I like “a dog with a bone,” says John M. Barry, author of “The Great Influenza.”The suspected ground zero of the Spanish flu ranges from Kansas to China. But it was clear to U.S. officials even in 1918 that it didn’t start in Spain.The pandemic took on Spain’s name only because its free press ambitiously reported the devastation in the disease’s early 1918 wave while government officials and a complicit press in countries at war — the U.S. among them — played it down in a time of jingoism, censorship and denial.Like COVID-19, the 1918 pandemic came from a respiratory virus that jumped from animals to people, was transmitted the same way, and had similar pathology, Barry said by email. Social distancing, hand-washing and masks were leading control measures then and now.<a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-opinion-flashback-1918-flu-pandemic-timeline-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">Medical advice from then&nbsp;</a>also resonates today: “If you get it, stay at home, rest in bed, keep warm, drink hot drinks and stay quiet until the symptoms are past,” said Dr. John Dill Robertson, Chicago health commissioner in 1918. “Then continue to be careful, for the greatest danger is from pneumonia or some kindred disease after the influenza is gone.”In the manner of the day, there just had to be a catchy rhyme in circulation, too: “Cover up each cough and sneeze. If you don’t you’ll spread disease.”But there were also marked differences between the viruses of 1918 and 2020. The Spanish flu was particularly dangerous to healthy people aged 20 to 40 — the prime generation of military service — paradoxically because of their vibrant immune systems.When such people got infected, their antibodies went after the virus like soldiers spilling from the trenches of Europe’s killing fields.“The immune system was throwing every weapon it had at the virus,” Barry said. “The battlefield was the lung. The lung was being destroyed in that battle.”Young soldiers and sailors&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/pandemic-timeline-1918.htm" target="_blank">massed at military camps</a>&nbsp;in the U.S., sailed for Europe on ships stuffed to the gunwales with humanity, fought side by side in the trenches and came home in victory to adoring crowds. The toll was enormous, on them and the people they infected. The Spanish flu could just as easily have been called the U.S. Army or U.S. Navy flu instead. Or the German or British flu, for that matter.Among those who died in the pandemic was Friedrich Trump, Donald Trump’s paternal grandfather. Among those who contracted it and recovered were the wartime leaders of Britain and Germany as well as of the United States, British and Spanish kings and the future U.S. president, Franklin Roosevelt, when he was assistant Navy secretary.But the toll was heavier on average people and the poor, crowded in tenements, street cars and sweaty factories.They could not all live by the words of the 1918 U.S. surgeon general, Rupert Blue: “Keep out of crowds and stuffy places as much as possible. ... The value of fresh air through open windows cannot be overemphasized. ... Make every possible effort to breath as much pure air as possible.”An estimated 675,000 Americans died in the pandemic, which is thought to have infected one-third of the global population.&nbsp;<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html" target="_blank">Tracking by Johns Hopkins University</a>&nbsp;shows the continuing COVID-19 pandemic has killed more than 250,000 people globally, more than 68,000 in the United States.___BAD SCIENCEIn 1918, the surgeon general noted in a handbill that “a person who has only a mild attack of the disease himself may give a very severe attack to others.” The warning is just as applicable to the coronavirus, especially as scientists learned large numbers of people with COVID-19 may spread it despite no obvious symptoms. Exactly how often the new virus kills can’t be determined without better counts of the infected; some estimates&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3291398/" target="_blank">put the 1918 flu’s death rate at 2.5%.</a>Blue’s public notice also warned people to avoid charlatans and only get medicine from doctors.Physicians, though, didn’t always know what they were doing. Medical journals at the time describe a rash of unusual treatments, some in the league of Trump’s amateur theories about disinfectant, blasts of lights and an unapproved drug that has both potential benefits and risks.One 1918-era doctor recommended that people sniff a boric acid and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) powder to rinse out nasal passages. Others prescribed quinine, strychnine and a poisonous garden plant called Digitalis to help circulation, as well as drugs derived from iodine for “internal disinfection,” according to Laura Spinney, who wrote the 2017 book “Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World.”Popular theories spread that warming your feet would prevent infection, or gobbling brown sugar, or getting the onion rubdown. A “clean heart” was one supposed preventive, though it is not clear whether that meant the organ or the heart of love.“There was no Tony Fauci back then,” Barry said in a remote&nbsp;<a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-9104/" target="_blank">Library of Congress interview</a>&nbsp;in April.We have Fauci now — a federal immunologist who has been regarded as the truth-teller in White House briefings, singularly immune to Trump’s positive spin and falsehoods. Plus, we know so much more than people did in 1918.Yet we’re still hearing lots of Dark Ages nonsense.Conspiracy theorists have blamed COVID-19 on the development of 5G networks, just as they say radio waves caused the 1918 flu. Arsonists recently torched more than a dozen British cell towers after that falsehood circulated.Over the months of this pandemic, The Associated Press has debunked a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/Fact-checking">series of bogus remedies&nbsp;</a>that spread on Facebook, Twitter and the like. No, blasting hot air up your nose from a hair dryer won’t protect you. Nor will drinking tonic water, eating high-alkaline foods, stuffing antibiotic ointment up your nose, downing vodka or any home elixir.No, it’s not true that if you can’t hold your breath very long, you have COVID-19. Or that a vaccine from a lab only works on a disease created by a lab.Social distancing has not come with social-media distancing. Over a century of science, we haven’t gone back to the future, but ahead to the past.___LESSONS OF 1918 (and 1919)In September 1918, as the Spanish flu’s second and by far deadliest wave hit in the U.S., Philadelphia’s public health chief disregarded advisers and let a massive war-bond parade proceed through downtown. The H1N1 virus raced through the masses in what has been called the world’s deadliest parade. As officials insisted there was nothing to be alarmed about, people were seeing neighbors sicken and die with astonishing speed and mass graves being dug.“It’s just the flu” had worn thin as the mantra of officialdom.Late that November, sirens wailed in San Francisco to sound the all-clear after six weeks of lockdown and tell people they could remove their masks. San Francisco, like many cities in the West, had been largely spared the first wave and spent the interval preparing for Round 2, mandating masks and jailing people who didn’t comply.They had a rhyme for that, too, of course: “Obey the laws, and wear the gauze. Protect your jaws from septic paws.”<a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/influenza-san-francisco/" target="_blank">The precautions paid off&nbsp;</a>with a death rate lower than in afflicted cities elsewhere. But the city relaxed too soon.In December, thousands of new cases erupted. A wave spilling into the new year was underway. San Francisco’s death toll mounted by more than 1,000. It was the last lashing by the Spanish flu, and a less lethal one.The brutal lessons of 1918 and 1919? To Barry, who was enlisted 15 years ago in a Bush administration drive to prepare all levels of government for pandemics, they are to respond early, relax cautiously, tell people the truth.Instead he has seen denial followed by a chaotic federal response and leadership vacuum as Washington and the states compete for the same medical essentials and now move fitfully toward reopening.“Now we have plans, even war-gamed the plans, spent billions preparing for just what is happening, federal agencies have been tasked to handle all these things, and we get ... next to nothing,” he said.Not even a jingle.

Virus-afflicted 2020 looks like 1918 despite science's march

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence was self-isolating Sunday after an aide tested positive for the coronavirus last week, but he planned to return to the White House on Monday.

An administration official said Pence was voluntarily keeping his distance from other people in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has repeatedly tested negative for COVID-19 since his exposure but was following the advice of medical officials.

His action came after three of the nation’s top scientists took their own protective steps following possible exposure to a White House staffer infected by the coronavirus.

“Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine,” spokesman Devin O’Malley said Sunday. “Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow.”

Pence has been at home since returning to Washington from a day trip to Iowa on Friday and did not appear at President Donald Trump’s meeting with military leaders Saturday at the White House. Pence was informed of the aide’s positive test shortly before departing for that trip.

An official initially said Pence planned to continue working from home, before Pence’s office clarified that he planned to work from the White House on Monday. It was not immediately clear how Pence’s steps to self-isolate would impact his professional or public engagements.

Pence has led the White House coronavirus task force for more than two months. Top officials who have gone into quarantine because of exposure to a person at the White House who tested positive for the virus are Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC; and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Stephen Hahn.

Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week.

A military service member who acts as a valet to the president tested positive on Thursday, the first known instance where a person in close proximity to the president at the White House had tested positive.

After Miller was identified as having tested positive, Trump said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Nonetheless, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex.

The three other task force members have indicated varying plans for dealing with their exposure. None has announced testing positive for the virus and, taking into account what has been described as limited exposure to the infected person, are considered at relatively low risk for infection.

Fauci’s institute said he was “taking appropriate precautions” to mitigate the risk to others while still carrying out his duties, teleworking from home but willing to go to the White House if called. Officials said both Redfield and Hahn will be self-quarantining for two weeks.

The three officials were expected to testify by videoconference before a Senate health committee on Tuesday. On Sunday night, the office of the chairman of the committee, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., announced that the senator would be self-quarantining in Tennessee for two weeks after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Alexander too will participate in the hearing by videoconference.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586429670186.png" alt="Vice President Mike Pence answers questions during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing last month-White House photo" />
 <figcaption>Vice President Mike Pence answers questions during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing last month-White House photo</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Mike Pence was self-isolating Sunday after an aide tested positive for the coronavirus last week, but he planned to return to the White House on Monday.An administration official said Pence was voluntarily keeping his distance from other people in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has repeatedly tested negative for COVID-19 since his exposure but was following the advice of medical officials.His action came after three of the nation’s top scientists took their own protective steps following possible exposure to a White House staffer infected by the coronavirus.“Vice President Pence will continue to follow the advice of the White House Medical Unit and is not in quarantine,” spokesman Devin O’Malley said Sunday. “Additionally, Vice President Pence has tested negative every single day and plans to be at the White House tomorrow.”Pence has been at home since returning to Washington from a day trip to Iowa on Friday and did not appear at President Donald Trump’s meeting with military leaders Saturday at the White House. Pence was informed of the aide’s positive test shortly before departing for that trip.An official initially said Pence planned to continue working from home, before Pence’s office clarified that he planned to work from the White House on Monday. It was not immediately clear how Pence’s steps to self-isolate would impact his professional or public engagements.Pence has led the White House coronavirus task force for more than two months. Top officials who have gone into quarantine because of exposure to a person at the White House who tested positive for the virus are Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC; and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Dr. Stephen Hahn.Pence’s press secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for the coronavirus on Friday, making her the second person who works at the White House complex known to test positive for the virus this week.A military service member who acts as a valet to the president tested positive on Thursday, the first known instance where a person in close proximity to the president at the White House had tested positive.After Miller was identified as having tested positive, Trump said he was “not worried” about the virus spreading in the White House. Nonetheless, officials said they were stepping up safety protocols for the complex.The three other task force members have indicated varying plans for dealing with their exposure. None has announced testing positive for the virus and, taking into account what has been described as limited exposure to the infected person, are considered at relatively low risk for infection.Fauci’s institute said he was “taking appropriate precautions” to mitigate the risk to others while still carrying out his duties, teleworking from home but willing to go to the White House if called. Officials said both Redfield and Hahn will be self-quarantining for two weeks.The three officials were expected to testify by videoconference before a Senate health committee on Tuesday. On Sunday night, the office of the chairman of the committee, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., announced that the senator would be self-quarantining in Tennessee for two weeks after a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. Alexander too will participate in the hearing by videoconference.<a href="https://bttrack.com/Click/Native?data=AFVDc9wbmOGpfzAhFqm7EIQtJ_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" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">PAI</a>

Vice Pres. expected back at work after exposure to infected aide

LINCOLN –&nbsp;Two deaths related to COVID-19 were reported to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) on Sunday.

A second death was reported to DHHS. More information is forthcoming.

Further information is available related to a death reported by DHHS yesterday evening. The deceased individual was from Douglas County -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.douglascountyhealth.com/latest-news" target="_blank">https://www.douglascountyhealth.com/latest-news&nbsp;</a>

The total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the state to date is 98, according to the DHHS data dashboard. The state case total, as of 5:45 p.m. Central Daylight Time, is 8,315. Nebraska's COVID-19 case totals are updated daily at&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>.&nbsp;

Local health departments are reporting deaths and cases in their jurisdictions. In the event of a discrepancy between DHHS dashboard data and deaths or cases reported by local public health officials, data reported by the local health department should be considered the most up to date.

Governor Pete Ricketts has announced changes to some of the state's Directed Health Measures, including re-openings of selected businesses in specific regions of Nebraska. The new DHM updates can be found by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iuwv40yommq81m3/AAAYgdnJYg3wWuwiPxPL8SEpa?dl%3D0&amp;data=02%7c01%7ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7c8029d69bffb84a537c1808d7ee2257b7%7c043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7c0%7c0%7c637239703574159964&amp;sdata=N4cPCE72MC6uRzEaRW%2BXn/q%2BiR7Udr7mUd2Pwvv8lPU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here&nbsp;</a>.&nbsp; Not sure which local health department is yours? A map is available by&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/CHPM%20Maps/NE_Health_Dept_Map_Dec_2016.pdf">clicking here&nbsp;</a>.

Governor Ricketts recently announced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.testnebraska.com/" target="_blank">TestNebraska&nbsp;</a>, a public-private partnership designed to increase testing capacity and #CrushTheCurve in Nebraska. TestNebraska launched last week in Grand Island, Omaha and Lincoln. Additional mobile testing sites are expected to become available shortly.

The Governor is urging all Nebraskans to take the assessment provided on the TestNebraska website to help identify cases of COVID-19 in the state. After taking the assessment, participants who fit the criteria will be notified via phone or email that they qualify to be tested for COVID-19. Nebraskans can take the assessment at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.testnebraska.com/" target="_blank">https://www.testnebraska.com/&nbsp;</a>. Because people can develop symptoms quickly, Nebraskans are asked to update their assessments from time to time as needed.

DHHS supports Governor Ricketts in urging Nebraskans to follow the&nbsp;Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy.&nbsp;

Recent studies show that a significant portion of people with COVID-19 lack symptoms and those who eventually develop symptoms can pass the virus to others before showing symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html&nbsp;</a>.

Cloth face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. Public health officials continue to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing is crucial to slowing the spread of the virus.

Here's where to find tools and resources for individuals and families, schools, communities, businesses, healthcare facilities, and first responders on the DHHS website -&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>&nbsp;and CDC's website –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid19" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

DHHS opened a statewide COVID-19 information line to help answer general questions and share the latest information and resources with Nebraskans to help keep them informed. The number is (402) 552-6645 or toll-free at (833) 998-2275; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CDT, 7 days a week.

DHHS will continue to update Nebraskans through the DHHS website and on Facebook and Twitter as we have new information. The CDC's website is also a good resource for COVID-19 information -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid19" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

LINCOLN –&nbsp;Two deaths related to COVID-19 were reported to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) on Sunday.One death was a Douglas County resident.A second death was reported to DHHS. More information is forthcoming.Further information is available related to a death reported by DHHS yesterday evening. The deceased individual was from Douglas County -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.douglascountyhealth.com/latest-news" target="_blank">https://www.douglascountyhealth.com/latest-news&nbsp;</a>The total number of COVID-19-related deaths in the state to date is 98, according to the DHHS data dashboard. The state case total, as of 5:45 p.m. Central Daylight Time, is 8,315. Nebraska's COVID-19 case totals are updated daily at&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>.&nbsp;Local health departments are reporting deaths and cases in their jurisdictions. In the event of a discrepancy between DHHS dashboard data and deaths or cases reported by local public health officials, data reported by the local health department should be considered the most up to date.Governor Pete Ricketts has announced changes to some of the state's Directed Health Measures, including re-openings of selected businesses in specific regions of Nebraska. The new DHM updates can be found by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://www.dropbox.com/sh/iuwv40yommq81m3/AAAYgdnJYg3wWuwiPxPL8SEpa?dl%3D0&amp;data=02%7c01%7ccio.webmstr%40nebraska.gov%7c8029d69bffb84a537c1808d7ee2257b7%7c043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7c0%7c0%7c637239703574159964&amp;sdata=N4cPCE72MC6uRzEaRW%2BXn/q%2BiR7Udr7mUd2Pwvv8lPU%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">clicking here&nbsp;</a>.&nbsp; Not sure which local health department is yours? A map is available by&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/CHPM%20Maps/NE_Health_Dept_Map_Dec_2016.pdf">clicking here&nbsp;</a>.Governor Ricketts recently announced&nbsp;<a href="https://www.testnebraska.com/" target="_blank">TestNebraska&nbsp;</a>, a public-private partnership designed to increase testing capacity and #CrushTheCurve in Nebraska. TestNebraska launched last week in Grand Island, Omaha and Lincoln. Additional mobile testing sites are expected to become available shortly.The Governor is urging all Nebraskans to take the assessment provided on the TestNebraska website to help identify cases of COVID-19 in the state. After taking the assessment, participants who fit the criteria will be notified via phone or email that they qualify to be tested for COVID-19. Nebraskans can take the assessment at&nbsp;<a href="https://www.testnebraska.com/" target="_blank">https://www.testnebraska.com/&nbsp;</a>. Because people can develop symptoms quickly, Nebraskans are asked to update their assessments from time to time as needed.DHHS supports Governor Ricketts in urging Nebraskans to follow the&nbsp;Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy.&nbsp;<ol>
 <li>Stay home.&nbsp; No non-essential errands and no social gatherings.&nbsp; Respect the ten-person limits.</li><li>Socially distance your work.&nbsp; Work from home or use the six-foot rule as much as possible in the workplace.&nbsp;</li><li>Shop alone.&nbsp; Do this only once a week and do not take your family with you.</li><li>Help kids social distance. Play at home, no group sports and no playgrounds.</li><li>Help seniors stay at home.&nbsp; This can be done by shopping for them.&nbsp; Do not visit long-term facilities.&nbsp;</li><li>Exercise daily.&nbsp; Do your best to stay as healthy and safe as you can.&nbsp;&nbsp;</li>
 </ol>Recent studies show that a significant portion of people with COVID-19 lack symptoms and those who eventually develop symptoms can pass the virus to others before showing symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery stores, pharmacies, etc.) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html&nbsp;</a>.Cloth face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. Public health officials continue to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing is crucial to slowing the spread of the virus.Here's where to find tools and resources for individuals and families, schools, communities, businesses, healthcare facilities, and first responders on the DHHS website -&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>&nbsp;and CDC's website –&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid19" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.DHHS opened a statewide COVID-19 information line to help answer general questions and share the latest information and resources with Nebraskans to help keep them informed. The number is (402) 552-6645 or toll-free at (833) 998-2275; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CDT, 7 days a week.DHHS will continue to update Nebraskans through the DHHS website and on Facebook and Twitter as we have new information. The CDC's website is also a good resource for COVID-19 information -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/covid19" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

Coronavirus Update