LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -Nebraska had 790 reported coronavirus cases as of Sunday, up 90 from the number reported Saturday, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

No new deaths were reported. So far, 17 people have died from the virus in Nebraska.

The uptick in cases came as some churchgoers attended drive-in Easter services from their cars to ensure social distancing.

St. John Lutheran Church held services at the Gage County Fairgrounds, where attendees listened from their car radios, the Lincoln Journal Star&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/local/photos-beatrice-area-celebrates-easter-with-drive-in-church-service/collection_77e686b9-155a-54b0-bb77-b4522771be7d.html#1" target="_blank">reported</a>.

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

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -Nebraska had 790 reported coronavirus cases as of Sunday, up 90 from the number reported Saturday, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.No new deaths were reported. So far, 17 people have died from the virus in Nebraska.The uptick in cases came as some churchgoers attended drive-in Easter services from their cars to ensure social distancing.St. John Lutheran Church held services at the Gage County Fairgrounds, where attendees listened from their car radios, the Lincoln Journal Star&nbsp;<a href="https://journalstar.com/news/local/photos-beatrice-area-celebrates-easter-with-drive-in-church-service/collection_77e686b9-155a-54b0-bb77-b4522771be7d.html#1" target="_blank">reported</a>.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

Nebraska virus cases up to 790

LINCOLN, Neb.(DHHS) –&nbsp;A worker at a recent Red Cross event held on April 1 in Atkinson has tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The worker is not a resident of the North Central District Health Department District (NCDHD). &nbsp;Upon notification, DHHS' epidemiology team, Central District Health Department (CDHD, and NCDHD worked with the Red Cross and the worker to assess the risk of donors and volunteers who attended the blood drive.&nbsp; NCDHD began receiving contact investigation information on April 9. NCDHD immediately initiated contact with these attendees to notify them of potential exposure and next steps. On April 10, fourteen (14) potential close contacts were identified and immediately contacted by the Red Cross.&nbsp; All of these individuals are asymptomatic, quarantining, and self-monitoring for symptom development; they have been instructed to self-isolate should symptoms develop. On Saturday, April 12, NCDHD also contacted these potential close contacts to assist with any questions or concerns.

Targeted contact tracing as described above is the best public health course of action at this point. With the cooperation of organizers of this event, the health department was able to establish the population at risk and make recommendations for quarantine and self-monitoring as appropriate. Widespread testing is not warranted at this time because most donors and volunteers had very limited, if any, exposure. A single test of an asymptomatic person after a possible exposure in the time period up to 14 days later does not establish if the person was exposed or not. For those donors or volunteers who had no or limited exposure, the probability of a test being positive at this time would be no higher than any other member of the general population. Those who were identified to be at higher risk are already in self-quarantine and thus are not a risk for further transmission to the community. Testing is only necessary for this group if they become symptomatic. Given these appropriate public health response actions, any additional risk for COVID-19 to the greater community as a result of this event is limited.

Red Cross workers were provided face masks to wear voluntarily at the blood drive; this individual wore a face mask during interaction with donors at the event.&nbsp; As the window for exposure ends on April 15, additional risk for COVID-19 to the greater community as a result of this event remains extremely low.&nbsp;

The public health community in Nebraska takes any potential exposure to COVID-19 extremely seriously and continues to take make informed, decisive and appropriate decisions with respect to reducing the spread of coronavirus in all Nebraska communities.&nbsp; The department strongly urges all Nebraskans to seek out information from credible sources such as the local health department the&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx">DHHS COVID-19 webpage</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)&nbsp;</a>.

Following the issuance of new CDC guidance last week, all Red Cross workers will wear face masks at future events.&nbsp; Nebraskans have helped in the COVID-19 response by giving enough blood to meet current blood needs, practicing social distancing and following other recommendations that continue to help flatten the curve in the State. Residents interested in donating blood should contact the Red Cross to schedule an appointment to ensure a stable supply throughout this pandemic.

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; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CST, 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, Neb.(DHHS) –&nbsp;A worker at a recent Red Cross event held on April 1 in Atkinson has tested positive for coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The worker is not a resident of the North Central District Health Department District (NCDHD). &nbsp;Upon notification, DHHS' epidemiology team, Central District Health Department (CDHD, and NCDHD worked with the Red Cross and the worker to assess the risk of donors and volunteers who attended the blood drive.&nbsp; NCDHD began receiving contact investigation information on April 9. NCDHD immediately initiated contact with these attendees to notify them of potential exposure and next steps. On April 10, fourteen (14) potential close contacts were identified and immediately contacted by the Red Cross.&nbsp; All of these individuals are asymptomatic, quarantining, and self-monitoring for symptom development; they have been instructed to self-isolate should symptoms develop. On Saturday, April 12, NCDHD also contacted these potential close contacts to assist with any questions or concerns.Targeted contact tracing as described above is the best public health course of action at this point. With the cooperation of organizers of this event, the health department was able to establish the population at risk and make recommendations for quarantine and self-monitoring as appropriate. Widespread testing is not warranted at this time because most donors and volunteers had very limited, if any, exposure. A single test of an asymptomatic person after a possible exposure in the time period up to 14 days later does not establish if the person was exposed or not. For those donors or volunteers who had no or limited exposure, the probability of a test being positive at this time would be no higher than any other member of the general population. Those who were identified to be at higher risk are already in self-quarantine and thus are not a risk for further transmission to the community. Testing is only necessary for this group if they become symptomatic. Given these appropriate public health response actions, any additional risk for COVID-19 to the greater community as a result of this event is limited.Red Cross workers were provided face masks to wear voluntarily at the blood drive; this individual wore a face mask during interaction with donors at the event.&nbsp; As the window for exposure ends on April 15, additional risk for COVID-19 to the greater community as a result of this event remains extremely low.&nbsp;The public health community in Nebraska takes any potential exposure to COVID-19 extremely seriously and continues to take make informed, decisive and appropriate decisions with respect to reducing the spread of coronavirus in all Nebraska communities.&nbsp; The department strongly urges all Nebraskans to seek out information from credible sources such as the local health department the&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx">DHHS COVID-19 webpage</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/managing-stress-anxiety.html" target="_blank">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)&nbsp;</a>.Following the issuance of new CDC guidance last week, all Red Cross workers will wear face masks at future events.&nbsp; Nebraskans have helped in the COVID-19 response by giving enough blood to meet current blood needs, practicing social distancing and following other recommendations that continue to help flatten the curve in the State. Residents interested in donating blood should contact the Red Cross to schedule an appointment to ensure a stable supply throughout this pandemic.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; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CST, 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>.

DHHS issues statement on recent Atkinson contact investigation results

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the following actions taken in its ongoing response effort to the COVID-19 pandemic:

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the following actions taken in its ongoing response effort to the COVID-19 pandemic:<ol>
 <li>The FDA recently issued an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-authorizes-blood-purification-device-treat-covid-19">emergency use authorization (EUA) for a blood purification system</a>&nbsp;to treat patients 18 years of age or older with confirmed COVID-19 admitted to the intensive care unit with confirmed or imminent respiratory failure. The FDA issued the EUA to Terumo BCT Inc. and Marker Therapeutics AG for their Spectra Optia Apheresis System and Depuro D2000 Adsorption Cartridge devices.</li><li>The FDA recently issued an<a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-issues-second-emergency-use-authorization-decontaminate-n95">&nbsp;EUA to decontaminate compatible N95 or N95-equivalent respirators</a>&nbsp;for reuse by health care workers in hospital settings. The FDA issued the EUA to STERIS Corporation for the STERIS V-PRO 1 Plus, maX and maX2 Low Temperature Sterilization Systems using the STERIS N95 Decontamination Cycle (non-lumen cycle, which uses vaporized hydrogen peroxide. This EUA will support decontamination of approximately 750,000 N95 respirators per day in the U.S.</li><li>The FDA issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/temporary-policy-regarding-non-standard-ppe-practices-sterile-compounding-pharmacy-compounders-not">guidance</a>&nbsp;for immediate implementation for pharmacy compounders that experience shortages of the personal protective equipment (PPE) they typically use to compound human drugs that are intended or expected to be sterile. PPE shortages have the potential to significantly impact the quality, purity and availability of drugs that are compounded for patients, including those in critical need. The guidance discusses how pharmacies may be able to preserve PPE if supplies are limited. Further, as a temporary measure to address the public health emergency posed by COVID-19, the agency is providing limited regulatory flexibility for compounders that cannot obtain sufficient supplies of PPE for sterile compounding, provided they adopt risk mitigation strategies as described in the guidance. FDA adopted this policy to help assure patient access to needed medicines and to reduce the risks of compounding when standard PPE are not available.</li><li>Yesterday, the FDA and Federal Trade Commission issued a warning letter to one company for selling fraudulent COVID-19 products, as part of the agency’s effort to protect consumers. The seller&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/warning-letters/earthley-wellness-dba-modern-alternative-mama-llc-606525-04092020">warned</a>, Earthley Wellness DBA Modern Alternative Mama LLC., offers unapproved and misbranded herbal tinctures and herbal remedy products for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19. There are currently no approved preventatives or treatments for COVID-19. Consumers should not purchase or take any product to prevent or treat COVID-19 unless it is prescribed by their health care provider and acquired from a legitimate source.</li><li><a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/fda-voices-perspectives-fda-leadership-and-experts/perspective-fdas-covid-19-response">FDA Voices: A Perspective on the FDA’s COVID-19 Response</a>&nbsp;by Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, was issued. It provides a perspective of the FDA’s “all-hands-on-deck” approach to tackling this pandemic. The FDA is integral in the fight against the coronavirus, using science and innovative approaches to take a broad range of actions that advance our nation’s response.</li><li>The FDA issued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/product-safety-information/fda-letter-stakeholders-do-not-use-ivermectin-intended-animals-treatment-covid-19-humans">Letter to Stakeholders</a>&nbsp;advising people not use ivermectin intended for animals as a treatment for COVID-19 in humans. People should never take animal drugs, as the FDA has only evaluated their safety and effectiveness in the particular animal species for which they are labeled. These animal drugs can cause serious harm in people. People should not take any form of ivermectin unless it has been prescribed to them by a licensed health care provider and is obtained through a legitimate source.</li><li>Diagnostics update to date:During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has worked with more than 300 test developers who have said they will be submitting emergency use authorizations (EUA) requests to FDA for tests that detect the virus.To date, 33&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/emergency-situations-medical-devices/emergency-use-authorizations">emergency use authorizations</a>&nbsp;have been issued for diagnostic tests.The FDA has been notified that more than 170 laboratories have begun testing under the policies set forth in our COVID-19 Policy for Diagnostic Tests for Coronavirus Disease-2019 during the Public Health Emergency Guidance.The FDA also continues to keep its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/emergency-situations-medical-devices/faqs-diagnostic-testing-sars-cov-2">COVID-19 Diagnostics FAQ</a>&nbsp;up to date.</li><li>During the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDA has worked with more than 300 test developers who have said they will be submitting emergency use authorizations (EUA) requests to FDA for tests that detect the virus.</li><li>To date, 33&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/emergency-situations-medical-devices/emergency-use-authorizations">emergency use authorizations</a>&nbsp;have been issued for diagnostic tests.</li><li>The FDA has been notified that more than 170 laboratories have begun testing under the policies set forth in our COVID-19 Policy for Diagnostic Tests for Coronavirus Disease-2019 during the Public Health Emergency Guidance.</li><li>The FDA also continues to keep its&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/emergency-situations-medical-devices/faqs-diagnostic-testing-sars-cov-2">COVID-19 Diagnostics FAQ</a>&nbsp;up to date.</li>
 </ol>The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

Food and Drug Administration COVID-19 Daily Roundup 

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Officials confirm 9 additional COVID-19 cases at Callaway Good Life Center

By FRANK BAJAK and MATT O'BRIEN, Associated Press

Apple and Google launched a major joint effort to leverage smartphone technology to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

New software the companies plan to add to phones would make it easier to use Bluetooth wireless technology to track down people for who may have been infected by coronavirus carriers. The idea is to help national or regional governments roll out apps for so-called “contact tracing” that will run on iPhones and Android phones alike.

The technology works by harnessing short-range Bluetooth signals. Using the Apple-Google technology, contact-tracing apps would gather a record of other phones with which they came into close proximity. Such data can be used to alert others who might have been infected by known carriers of the novel coronavirus, although only in cases where the phones’ owners have installed the apps and agreed to share data with public-health authorities.

Software developers have already created such apps in countries including Singapore and China to try to contain the pandemic. In Europe, the Czech Republic says it will release such an app after Easter. Britain, Germany and Italy are also developing their own tracing tools.

Privacy and civil liberties activists have warned that such apps need to be designed so governments cannot abuse them to track their citizens. Apple and Google&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/04/apple-and-google-partner-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-technology/" target="_blank">said in a rare joint announcement</a>&nbsp;that user privacy and security are baked into the design of their plan.

The technology might serve as a stopgap in the absence of widespread testing for the novel coronavirus, which in the U.S. remains limited after production problems and limited federal coordination of the tests’ production and distribution. “It’s not a replacement for just having widespread testing, which would be more accurate,” said Tiffany Li, a visiting law professor at Boston University who studies privacy and technology. “But clearly we have a huge shortage of tests.”

Li suggested that Bluetooth signal tracking protects privacy better than the use of other options such as GPS or cell-tower based location data, which would allow centralized authorities access to the information. But it could still lead to numerous mistaken alerts, she said — for instance, if someone was in full protective gear or in an adjacent apartment while physically close to an infected person.

Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, said a conversation with Apple’s senior director for global privacy, Jane Horvath, assured her that the initiative will protect people’s privacy. Sensitive information will stay on individual phones in encrypted form and alerts will be handled by public health agencies, not the tech companies, she said.

“I think they’ve taken care of some of the really big problems,” Dixon said, noting the companies say they can turn off the system when it’s no longer needed. “The government is not going to have identity information of those testing positive.”

Asked about the Google-Apple effort at his daily news briefing, President Donald Trump called it “very interesting,” but expressed concern that “a lot of people worry about it in terms of a person’s freedom. We’re going to take a look at that.”

Security experts note that technology alone cannot effectively track down and identify people who may have been infected by COVID-19 carriers. Such efforts will require other tools and teams of public health care workers to locate people in the physical world, they say. In South Korea and China, such efforts have included the use of credit-card and public-transit records.

In general, epidemiologists say contact tracing won’t be effective without widely available testing. In the Czech Republic, the plan is to have soldiers perform testing; medical students have been trained to staff call centers for notifying people at high risk of infection. The Czech app will use both Bluetooth technology and geolocation data from wireless carriers and banks to create “memory maps” that trace the movement of infected people to identify others they came into close proximity with in the five to ten days before they tested positive.

The hope is to quickly isolate people who may be affected so the virus can be contained and restrictions on movement relaxed. The app builds on a popular cellular-location mapping app used by one in ten Czechs, who number 10 million.

Given the great need for effective contact-tracing — a tool epidemiologists have long employed to contain infectious disease outbreaks — Google and Apple will roll out their changes in two phases. In May, they will release software that will support public-health apps for both Android and iOS phones. In coming months, they will also build this functionality directly into the underlying phone operating systems.

On Friday, the companies released preliminary technical specifications for the effort, which they called “Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing.”

By FRANK BAJAK and MATT O'BRIEN, Associated PressApple and Google launched a major joint effort to leverage smartphone technology to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.New software the companies plan to add to phones would make it easier to use Bluetooth wireless technology to track down people for who may have been infected by coronavirus carriers. The idea is to help national or regional governments roll out apps for so-called “contact tracing” that will run on iPhones and Android phones alike.The technology works by harnessing short-range Bluetooth signals. Using the Apple-Google technology, contact-tracing apps would gather a record of other phones with which they came into close proximity. Such data can be used to alert others who might have been infected by known carriers of the novel coronavirus, although only in cases where the phones’ owners have installed the apps and agreed to share data with public-health authorities.Software developers have already created such apps in countries including Singapore and China to try to contain the pandemic. In Europe, the Czech Republic says it will release such an app after Easter. Britain, Germany and Italy are also developing their own tracing tools.ADVERTISEMENTPrivacy and civil liberties activists have warned that such apps need to be designed so governments cannot abuse them to track their citizens. Apple and Google&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/04/apple-and-google-partner-on-covid-19-contact-tracing-technology/" target="_blank">said in a rare joint announcement</a>&nbsp;that user privacy and security are baked into the design of their plan.The technology might serve as a stopgap in the absence of widespread testing for the novel coronavirus, which in the U.S. remains limited after production problems and limited federal coordination of the tests’ production and distribution. “It’s not a replacement for just having widespread testing, which would be more accurate,” said Tiffany Li, a visiting law professor at Boston University who studies privacy and technology. “But clearly we have a huge shortage of tests.”Li suggested that Bluetooth signal tracking protects privacy better than the use of other options such as GPS or cell-tower based location data, which would allow centralized authorities access to the information. But it could still lead to numerous mistaken alerts, she said — for instance, if someone was in full protective gear or in an adjacent apartment while physically close to an infected person.Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum, said a conversation with Apple’s senior director for global privacy, Jane Horvath, assured her that the initiative will protect people’s privacy. Sensitive information will stay on individual phones in encrypted form and alerts will be handled by public health agencies, not the tech companies, she said.“I think they’ve taken care of some of the really big problems,” Dixon said, noting the companies say they can turn off the system when it’s no longer needed. “The government is not going to have identity information of those testing positive.”Asked about the Google-Apple effort at his daily news briefing, President Donald Trump called it “very interesting,” but expressed concern that “a lot of people worry about it in terms of a person’s freedom. We’re going to take a look at that.”Security experts note that technology alone cannot effectively track down and identify people who may have been infected by COVID-19 carriers. Such efforts will require other tools and teams of public health care workers to locate people in the physical world, they say. In South Korea and China, such efforts have included the use of credit-card and public-transit records.In general, epidemiologists say contact tracing won’t be effective without widely available testing. In the Czech Republic, the plan is to have soldiers perform testing; medical students have been trained to staff call centers for notifying people at high risk of infection. The Czech app will use both Bluetooth technology and geolocation data from wireless carriers and banks to create “memory maps” that trace the movement of infected people to identify others they came into close proximity with in the five to ten days before they tested positive.The hope is to quickly isolate people who may be affected so the virus can be contained and restrictions on movement relaxed. The app builds on a popular cellular-location mapping app used by one in ten Czechs, who number 10 million.Given the great need for effective contact-tracing — a tool epidemiologists have long employed to contain infectious disease outbreaks — Google and Apple will roll out their changes in two phases. In May, they will release software that will support public-health apps for both Android and iOS phones. In coming months, they will also build this functionality directly into the underlying phone operating systems.On Friday, the companies released preliminary technical specifications for the effort, which they called “Privacy-Preserving Contact Tracing.”___

Apple, Google to harness phones for virus infection tracking

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-Officials with Great Plains Health in North Platte say they have accepted and will care for COVID-19 patients from the Loup Basin Public Health Department district.&nbsp;



&nbsp;﻿“We have accepted 9 patients from the Loup Basin Public Health district that have tested positive for COVID-19, said Mel McNea, Great Plains Health chief executive officer. “Those that have arrived so far are being cared for by our highly skilled and compassionate staff.”

“We are taking every precaution and have isolated the patients in our COVID19 unit, which is separate from our other patient rooms, said McNea. “Our staff is following all CDC guidelines to minimize exposure and stay safe.”

The latest update from LBPH stated that they had 13 positive cases in their district.&nbsp;

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-Officials with Great Plains Health in North Platte say they have accepted and will care for COVID-19 patients from the Loup Basin Public Health Department district.&nbsp;

&nbsp;﻿“We have accepted 9 patients from the Loup Basin Public Health district that have tested positive for COVID-19, said Mel McNea, Great Plains Health chief executive officer. “Those that have arrived so far are being cared for by our highly skilled and compassionate staff.”“We are taking every precaution and have isolated the patients in our COVID19 unit, which is separate from our other patient rooms, said McNea. “Our staff is following all CDC guidelines to minimize exposure and stay safe.”The latest update from LBPH stated that they had 13 positive cases in their district.&nbsp;

Great Plains Health treating COVID-19 patients from Loup Basin Public Health district

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Rich Tokheim's sports apparel shop is right across the street from TD Ameritrade Park. More than half his annual revenue comes in the 11 or 12 days of the College World Series each June.

"We're here," he said, "because of the College World Series. It's just so many people."

Those people won't be in Omaha this year. The Division I baseball championship, decided in this city of just under a half-million for the past 70 years, is a prominent sports casualty of the coronavirus pandemic - a blow not just to the ledgers and coffers of local businesses but to the identity of the city itself.

Omaha has long prided itself on hosting the eight-team tournament and even built $100 million TD Ameritrade Park a decade ago in exchange for an NCAA promise to keep the CWS here through at least 2035.

The 24,000-seat stadium is dark 50 of 52 weeks a year, except for Creighton home games in front of small crowds, but for those two weeks each summer, it's the place to be. More than 332,000 people attended the 15 games a year ago and thousands more were outside tailgating, patronizing bars and restaurants, or visiting the Omaha Baseball Village shopping and entertainment area.

Average occupancy in the metro area's 15,000 hotel rooms was 85% during last year's CWS, with a high of 95% on opening day. Thousands of full- and part-time jobs are tied to the event. The economic impact has been estimated at $74 million per year, with more than $6 million generated in local and state taxes.

"My heart bleeds for those folks," said Kathryn Morrissey, executive director of the local organizing group College World Series Inc. "It's their Christmas, our Mardi Gras for our community, when we celebrate."

Instead, there is a void this summer for people who have grown up with the event and made it a tradition - a blow familiar elsewhere across the country. The Associated Press is examining how the cancellation or postponement of iconic sporting events impacts some of those communities.

The CWS started in 1947 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It moved to Wichita, Kansas, for 1949 before a group of local businessmen brought it to Omaha in 1950 and helped keep it afloat here after it lost money 10 of the first 12 years.

Crowds at the old Rosenblatt Stadium grew and the memories piled up, from Dave Winfield's dominant pitching and hitting for Minnesota in 1973 to the complete game by Roger Clemens to help Texas beat Alabama for the championship a decade later. By the 1980s, ESPN was airing hours of CWS games.

Ed and Carolyn Conrath of Omaha started attending games in 1974. They bought two season tickets on the first-base line four years later and still own them. The Conraths enjoy the games, of course, but they also look forward to visiting with friends they see only at the CWS.

"You get to know people around you," Carolyn Conrath said. "We've watched entire families grow from little children into parents of teenagers and adults now."

Her favorite baseball memory is Whit Merrifield's walkoff single in the 11th inning to give South Carolina the 2010 championship in the final game played at Rosenblatt, but it's about far more than baseball for devoted fans of the CWS.

Carolyn laughed as she told the story of the streaker who interrupted a game in 1974, swinging a pink plastic bat at home plate and taking off toward third base before security caught him as he tried to exit through right field. She said she enjoys the tradition of fans batting around beach balls or trying to start the wave, and the people in the right- and left-field bleachers yelling clever chants at each other.

ESPN college baseball analyst Kyle Peterson grew up in Omaha and pitched for Stanford in the CWS in 1995 and '97 before a four-year pro career.

"For all of us, there's certain things in your life you just assume are going to be annual things, and this is one," Peterson said. "There was nothing that you would think would be enough to interrupt this."

All-time college wins leader Mike Martin, who brought 17 Florida State teams to the CWS, said he's as sad for Omaha businesses and fans as much as he is for the players who will miss out.

"It puts everybody in Omaha and the rest of college baseball in a sad state that we've got to wait a long time before we can get that excitement built up again," said Martin, who retired last year. "It's not easy to accept this, but the excitement will return, good lord willing, and we'll be right back where we were."

The Omaha Baseball Village provides temporary employment for about 400 and generates hundreds of thousands of dollars from vendors renting space and nightlife. Marketing director Jenny Peters said more than 250,000 people come through the village during the CWS.

"The College World Series to Omaha is such a signature event, an identity for the community," Peters said. "To lose that, it's more than jobs and revenue. There's a little bit of heart that goes into it from everyone who lives here and works here and gets to show off our town."

Tokheim, who has operated sports apparel stores in Omaha for more than two decades, has an ideal location for "The Dugout" - an infield grounder away from the stadium's front door. He employs about 30 people during the CWS, some 25 more than the rest of the year.

Tokheim said his shop should survive one year without the CWS, but that might not be the case for neighboring businesses.

"I think we're all just stunned right now," he said.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Rich Tokheim's sports apparel shop is right across the street from TD Ameritrade Park. More than half his annual revenue comes in the 11 or 12 days of the College World Series each June."We're here," he said, "because of the College World Series. It's just so many people."Those people won't be in Omaha this year. The Division I baseball championship, decided in this city of just under a half-million for the past 70 years, is a prominent sports casualty of the coronavirus pandemic - a blow not just to the ledgers and coffers of local businesses but to the identity of the city itself.Omaha has long prided itself on hosting the eight-team tournament and even built $100 million TD Ameritrade Park a decade ago in exchange for an NCAA promise to keep the CWS here through at least 2035.The 24,000-seat stadium is dark 50 of 52 weeks a year, except for Creighton home games in front of small crowds, but for those two weeks each summer, it's the place to be. More than 332,000 people attended the 15 games a year ago and thousands more were outside tailgating, patronizing bars and restaurants, or visiting the Omaha Baseball Village shopping and entertainment area.Average occupancy in the metro area's 15,000 hotel rooms was 85% during last year's CWS, with a high of 95% on opening day. Thousands of full- and part-time jobs are tied to the event. The economic impact has been estimated at $74 million per year, with more than $6 million generated in local and state taxes.All that is lost in 2020."My heart bleeds for those folks," said Kathryn Morrissey, executive director of the local organizing group College World Series Inc. "It's their Christmas, our Mardi Gras for our community, when we celebrate."Instead, there is a void this summer for people who have grown up with the event and made it a tradition - a blow familiar elsewhere across the country. The Associated Press is examining how the cancellation or postponement of iconic sporting events impacts some of those communities.The CWS started in 1947 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It moved to Wichita, Kansas, for 1949 before a group of local businessmen brought it to Omaha in 1950 and helped keep it afloat here after it lost money 10 of the first 12 years.Crowds at the old Rosenblatt Stadium grew and the memories piled up, from Dave Winfield's dominant pitching and hitting for Minnesota in 1973 to the complete game by Roger Clemens to help Texas beat Alabama for the championship a decade later. By the 1980s, ESPN was airing hours of CWS games.Ed and Carolyn Conrath of Omaha started attending games in 1974. They bought two season tickets on the first-base line four years later and still own them. The Conraths enjoy the games, of course, but they also look forward to visiting with friends they see only at the CWS."You get to know people around you," Carolyn Conrath said. "We've watched entire families grow from little children into parents of teenagers and adults now."Her favorite baseball memory is Whit Merrifield's walkoff single in the 11th inning to give South Carolina the 2010 championship in the final game played at Rosenblatt, but it's about far more than baseball for devoted fans of the CWS.Carolyn laughed as she told the story of the streaker who interrupted a game in 1974, swinging a pink plastic bat at home plate and taking off toward third base before security caught him as he tried to exit through right field. She said she enjoys the tradition of fans batting around beach balls or trying to start the wave, and the people in the right- and left-field bleachers yelling clever chants at each other.ESPN college baseball analyst Kyle Peterson grew up in Omaha and pitched for Stanford in the CWS in 1995 and '97 before a four-year pro career."For all of us, there's certain things in your life you just assume are going to be annual things, and this is one," Peterson said. "There was nothing that you would think would be enough to interrupt this."All-time college wins leader Mike Martin, who brought 17 Florida State teams to the CWS, said he's as sad for Omaha businesses and fans as much as he is for the players who will miss out."It puts everybody in Omaha and the rest of college baseball in a sad state that we've got to wait a long time before we can get that excitement built up again," said Martin, who retired last year. "It's not easy to accept this, but the excitement will return, good lord willing, and we'll be right back where we were."The Omaha Baseball Village provides temporary employment for about 400 and generates hundreds of thousands of dollars from vendors renting space and nightlife. Marketing director Jenny Peters said more than 250,000 people come through the village during the CWS."The College World Series to Omaha is such a signature event, an identity for the community," Peters said. "To lose that, it's more than jobs and revenue. There's a little bit of heart that goes into it from everyone who lives here and works here and gets to show off our town."Tokheim, who has operated sports apparel stores in Omaha for more than two decades, has an ideal location for "The Dugout" - an infield grounder away from the stadium's front door. He employs about 30 people during the CWS, some 25 more than the rest of the year.Tokheim said his shop should survive one year without the CWS, but that might not be the case for neighboring businesses."I think we're all just stunned right now," he said.

Deserted icons: No College World Series hits Omaha hard

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy’s for the highest in the world Saturday at about 20,000, as Chicago and other cities across the Midwest braced for a potential surge in victims and moved to snuff out smoldering hot spots of contagion before they erupt.

With the New York area still deep in crisis, fear mounted over the spread of the scourge into the nation’s heartland.

Twenty-four residents of an Indiana nursing home hit by COVID-19 have died, while a nursing home in Iowa saw 14 deaths. Chicago’s Cook County has set up a temporary morgue that can take more than 2,000 bodies. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6f408d2ff996945505f334a7529c0d90">Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot</a>&nbsp;has been going around telling groups of people to “break it up.”

Around the world, meanwhile, European countries used roadblocks, drones, helicopters, mounted patrols and the threat of fines to keep people from traveling over Easter weekend. And with infections and deaths slowing in Italy, Spain and other places on the Continent, governments took tentative steps toward loosening the weeks-long shutdowns.

Glorious weather across Europe posed an extra test of people’s discipline.

“Don’t do silly things,” said Domenico Arcuri, Italy’s special commissioner for the virus emergency. “Don’t go out, continue to behave responsibly as you have done until today, use your head and your sense of responsibility.”

The outbreak’s center of gravity has long since shifted from China to Europe and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">United State</a>&nbsp;s, which now has by far the largest number of confirmed cases — a half-million — and a death toll higher than Italy’s count of nearly 19,500, according to the<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html"> tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.</a>

The death rate — that is, the number of dead relative to the population — is still far higher in Italy than in U.S., which has more than five times as many people. And worldwide, the true numbers of dead and infected are believed to be much higher because of testing shortages, different counting practices and concealment by some governments.

About half the deaths in the U.S. are in the New York metropolitan area, where hospitalizations are nevertheless slowing and other indicators suggest lockdowns and social distancing are “flattening the curve” of infections and staving off the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">doomsday scenarios</a>&nbsp;of just a week or two ago.

New York state on Saturday reported 783 more deaths, for a total over 8,600. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the daily number of deaths is stabilizing “but stabilizing at a horrific rate.”

“What do we do now? We stay the course,” said Cuomo, who like other leaders has warned that relaxing restrictions too soon could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance.

With authorities warning that the crisis in New York is far from over, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s 1.1 million-student school system will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. But Cuomo said the decision is up to him, and no such determination has been made.

In the Midwest, pockets of contagion have alarmed state and city leaders and led to stricter enforcement.

Nearly 300 inmates at the Cook County Jail have tested positive for the virus, and two have died. In Wisconsin, health officials expect to see an increase in coronavirus cases after thousands of people went to the polls during Wisconsin’s presidential primary Tuesday.

Michigan’s governor extended her state’s stay-at-home order with new provisions: People with multiple homes may no longer travel between them.

And in Kansas, the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a dispute Saturday between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican lawmakers who overturned her executive order banning religious services and funerals with more than 10 people.

Elsewhere around the world, Italian authorities set up roadblocks around Milan to discourage people from going on Easter weekend trips. British police kept a close watch on gatherings in parks and at the seaside on one of the hottest days of the year. And France deployed some 160,000 police, including officers on horseback who patrolled beaches and parks.

“It’s useless to pack your bags for a vacation,” Paris police tweeted.

With religious leaders around the globe urging people to observe Easter safely at home, not in church, the archbishop of Turin, Italy, allowed a video streaming display of the Shroud of Turin, believed by the faithful to be the burial cloth of Jesus, so that they can pray in front of it during the epidemic.

Austria aims to reopen small shops on Tuesday. Spain, with more than 16,300 dead, plans to allow workers in some nonessential industries to return to factories and construction sites Monday. Spanish authorities said they will distribute 10 million face masks at major train and subway stations.

“We think that with these measures we will prevent a jump in infections,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said.

Italy continued to include all nonessential manufacturing in an extension of its national lockdown until May 3. But Premier Giuseppe Conte held out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8daf291838bae0c7e17c055c4955cea7">hope that some industry could re-open earlier</a>&nbsp;if conditions permit.

Arcuri said that the exit from the lockdown will include increased virus testing, the deployment of a voluntary contact-tracing app and mandatory blood tests as Italy seeks to set up a system of ’’immunity passports.”

India extended its lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people by two more weeks. But Iran, the site of the worst outbreak in the Middle East, reopened government offices and businesses outside Tehran.

Britain on Saturday reported 917 more deaths, down from the peak of 980 recorded a day earlier. The country’s overall death toll neared 10,000. At the same time, data suggest that the number of hospital admissions in Britain is leveling off.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19, continued to recover at a London hospital, where he was able to take short walks, according to his office.

Worldwide, confirmed infections rose above 1.7 million, with over 100,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. Close to 400,000 people have recovered.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older people and those with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586635290743.png" alt="<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">John Hopkins Coronavirus resource center map</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html">John Hopkins Coronavirus resource center map</a></figcaption>
 </figure>CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. death toll from the coronavirus eclipsed Italy’s for the highest in the world Saturday at about 20,000, as Chicago and other cities across the Midwest braced for a potential surge in victims and moved to snuff out smoldering hot spots of contagion before they erupt.With the New York area still deep in crisis, fear mounted over the spread of the scourge into the nation’s heartland.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696207171.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Twenty-four residents of an Indiana nursing home hit by COVID-19 have died, while a nursing home in Iowa saw 14 deaths. Chicago’s Cook County has set up a temporary morgue that can take more than 2,000 bodies. And&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6f408d2ff996945505f334a7529c0d90">Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot</a>&nbsp;has been going around telling groups of people to “break it up.”Around the world, meanwhile, European countries used roadblocks, drones, helicopters, mounted patrols and the threat of fines to keep people from traveling over Easter weekend. And with infections and deaths slowing in Italy, Spain and other places on the Continent, governments took tentative steps toward loosening the weeks-long shutdowns.Glorious weather across Europe posed an extra test of people’s discipline.“Don’t do silly things,” said Domenico Arcuri, Italy’s special commissioner for the virus emergency. “Don’t go out, continue to behave responsibly as you have done until today, use your head and your sense of responsibility.”The outbreak’s center of gravity has long since shifted from China to Europe and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">United State</a>&nbsp;s, which now has by far the largest number of confirmed cases — a half-million — and a death toll higher than Italy’s count of nearly 19,500, according to the<a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html"> tally kept by Johns Hopkins University.</a>The death rate — that is, the number of dead relative to the population — is still far higher in Italy than in U.S., which has more than five times as many people. And worldwide, the true numbers of dead and infected are believed to be much higher because of testing shortages, different counting practices and concealment by some governments.About half the deaths in the U.S. are in the New York metropolitan area, where hospitalizations are nevertheless slowing and other indicators suggest lockdowns and social distancing are “flattening the curve” of infections and staving off the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/556b271a1e574c373204924c7035332f">doomsday scenarios</a>&nbsp;of just a week or two ago.New York state on Saturday reported 783 more deaths, for a total over 8,600. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the daily number of deaths is stabilizing “but stabilizing at a horrific rate.”“What do we do now? We stay the course,” said Cuomo, who like other leaders has warned that relaxing restrictions too soon could enable the virus to come back with a vengeance.With authorities warning that the crisis in New York is far from over, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the city’s 1.1 million-student school system will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. But Cuomo said the decision is up to him, and no such determination has been made.In the Midwest, pockets of contagion have alarmed state and city leaders and led to stricter enforcement.Nearly 300 inmates at the Cook County Jail have tested positive for the virus, and two have died. In Wisconsin, health officials expect to see an increase in coronavirus cases after thousands of people went to the polls during Wisconsin’s presidential primary Tuesday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585696236815.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Michigan’s governor extended her state’s stay-at-home order with new provisions: People with multiple homes may no longer travel between them.And in Kansas, the state Supreme Court heard arguments in a dispute Saturday between Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican lawmakers who overturned her executive order banning religious services and funerals with more than 10 people.Elsewhere around the world, Italian authorities set up roadblocks around Milan to discourage people from going on Easter weekend trips. British police kept a close watch on gatherings in parks and at the seaside on one of the hottest days of the year. And France deployed some 160,000 police, including officers on horseback who patrolled beaches and parks.“It’s useless to pack your bags for a vacation,” Paris police tweeted.With religious leaders around the globe urging people to observe Easter safely at home, not in church, the archbishop of Turin, Italy, allowed a video streaming display of the Shroud of Turin, believed by the faithful to be the burial cloth of Jesus, so that they can pray in front of it during the epidemic.Austria aims to reopen small shops on Tuesday. Spain, with more than 16,300 dead, plans to allow workers in some nonessential industries to return to factories and construction sites Monday. Spanish authorities said they will distribute 10 million face masks at major train and subway stations.“We think that with these measures we will prevent a jump in infections,” Health Minister Salvador Illa said.Italy continued to include all nonessential manufacturing in an extension of its national lockdown until May 3. But Premier Giuseppe Conte held out&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8daf291838bae0c7e17c055c4955cea7">hope that some industry could re-open earlier</a>&nbsp;if conditions permit.Arcuri said that the exit from the lockdown will include increased virus testing, the deployment of a voluntary contact-tracing app and mandatory blood tests as Italy seeks to set up a system of ’’immunity passports.”India extended its lockdown of the nation of 1.3 billion people by two more weeks. But Iran, the site of the worst outbreak in the Middle East, reopened government offices and businesses outside Tehran.Britain on Saturday reported 917 more deaths, down from the peak of 980 recorded a day earlier. The country’s overall death toll neared 10,000. At the same time, data suggest that the number of hospital admissions in Britain is leveling off.Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the first major world leader confirmed to have COVID-19, continued to recover at a London hospital, where he was able to take short walks, according to his office.Worldwide, confirmed infections rose above 1.7 million, with over 100,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins. Close to 400,000 people have recovered.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older people and those with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia.___

20,000: US death toll overtakes Italy's as Midwest braces

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Two new deaths related to coronavirus were reported in Nebraska, bringing the state's total death count for the disease to 17, health officials said.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said the COVID-19 related deaths were a man and a woman, both in their 70s, who were residents of a long-term care facility. Both died at a hospital in Hall County.

Nebraska had 700 reported cases as of Saturday, up 52 from the number reported Friday evening, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.

The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Clay and Webster counties. One is a child and the other is a man in his 30s who is isolating at home.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Two new deaths related to coronavirus were reported in Nebraska, bringing the state's total death count for the disease to 17, health officials said.The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said the COVID-19 related deaths were a man and a woman, both in their 70s, who were residents of a long-term care facility. Both died at a hospital in Hall County.Nebraska had 700 reported cases as of Saturday, up 52 from the number reported Friday evening, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services.The first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Clay and Webster counties. One is a child and the other is a man in his 30s who is isolating at home.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

Officials report 700 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nebraska 

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In a city ravaged by the coronavirus outbreak, members of one of New Orleans' most famous Mardi Gras groups _ the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club _ have paid a heavy price. 

Zulu President Elroy A. James said four of the fraternal organization’s members have died from coronavirus-related complications. Two others have died since the pandemic began though it’s not known if their deaths were virus-related. An additional 20 have tested positive. 

Fifty-one-year-old Cornell Charles is one Zulu member who died. His wife, Nicole, said her husband was a longtime coach with kids and was drawn to Zulu's philanthropic mission.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586612640697.png" alt="Photo by&nbsp;&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/26011645@N00">Paul Schultz</a>" />
 <figcaption>Photo by&nbsp;&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/26011645@N00">Paul Schultz</a></figcaption>
 </figure>NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In a city ravaged by the coronavirus outbreak, members of one of New Orleans' most famous Mardi Gras groups _ the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club _ have paid a heavy price. Zulu President Elroy A. James said four of the fraternal organization’s members have died from coronavirus-related complications. Two others have died since the pandemic began though it’s not known if their deaths were virus-related. An additional 20 have tested positive. Fifty-one-year-old Cornell Charles is one Zulu member who died. His wife, Nicole, said her husband was a longtime coach with kids and was drawn to Zulu's philanthropic mission.

Coronavirus ravages storied New Orleans Mardi Gras group

LINCOLN, Neb. (DHHS)-The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is rolling out a pilot program to assist the first responders such as health care workers, EMS, law enforcement and corrections officers to deal with potential exposure to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The concern of these workers after finishing their shift is whether they could potentially expose loved ones to the virus unintentionally because of the daily requirements of the job.&nbsp;

This program will aid in reducing spread as these individuals will be afforded accommodations to quarantine at participating hotels in an effort to protect their families from exposure.&nbsp; Should a first responder begin showing signs of COVID-19 they will be able to self-isolate and receive appropriate care if needed.&nbsp; Accommodations are for those frontline employees who cannot quarantine at home or cohabitate with someone who is deemed high-risk.&nbsp;

Interested individuals may call (833) 220-0018 to request a room.&nbsp; This line will be staffed from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. seven days a week.&nbsp; Messages left on the after-hours voicemail will be returned the following day.&nbsp; Turnaround time for a site placement will not be immediate but will be within 24 hours.&nbsp; These sites are not open to the general public.&nbsp;&nbsp;Lancaster County workers must coordinate directly with their employers.

Upon arrival, individuals checking-in will be asked to present their employee ID to verify their registration.&nbsp;

LINCOLN, Neb. (DHHS)-The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is rolling out a pilot program to assist the first responders such as health care workers, EMS, law enforcement and corrections officers to deal with potential exposure to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The concern of these workers after finishing their shift is whether they could potentially expose loved ones to the virus unintentionally because of the daily requirements of the job.&nbsp;This program will aid in reducing spread as these individuals will be afforded accommodations to quarantine at participating hotels in an effort to protect their families from exposure.&nbsp; Should a first responder begin showing signs of COVID-19 they will be able to self-isolate and receive appropriate care if needed.&nbsp; Accommodations are for those frontline employees who cannot quarantine at home or cohabitate with someone who is deemed high-risk.&nbsp;Interested individuals may call (833) 220-0018 to request a room.&nbsp; This line will be staffed from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. seven days a week.&nbsp; Messages left on the after-hours voicemail will be returned the following day.&nbsp; Turnaround time for a site placement will not be immediate but will be within 24 hours.&nbsp; These sites are not open to the general public.&nbsp;&nbsp;Lancaster County workers must coordinate directly with their employers.Upon arrival, individuals checking-in will be asked to present their employee ID to verify their registration.&nbsp;

Nebraska pilot program offers assistance to first responders, aims to reduce spread

LINCOLN, Neb.-Two new deaths related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were reported to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Wednesday, bringing the state's total death toll to 17.

The Central District Health Department reported two COVID-19 related deaths today, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 70s. Both were residents of a long-term care facility. Both died at a hospital in Hall County.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cdhd.ne.gov" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/cdhd.ne.gov&nbsp;</a>.

The South Heartland District Health Department reported the first cases of COVID-19 in Clay and Webster Counties. One is a child and the other is a male in his 30s who is isolating at home.&nbsp;<a href="https://southheartlandhealth.org/" target="_blank">https://southheartlandhealth.org/&nbsp;</a>.

Tonight's state case total, as of 6:10 pm Central Daylight Time, is 648. DHHS launched a new data dashboard that provides daily updates to the state's COVID-19 case totals. You can find it at&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>.

All 93 Nebraska counties are now covered by state Directed Health Measures (DHMs) until May 11 –&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>. It's critical that Nebraskans follow these enforceable state Directed Health Measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state. These measures help protect each other and those who are more vulnerable to severe illness and death, and help hospitals and clinics from being overwhelmed so they can continue to provide care to families, friends and neighbors who need it.

In addition to the state-issued DHM, some Local Health Departments have issued additional restrictions -&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/COVID-19-Directed-Health-Measures.aspx" target="_blank">http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/COVID-19-Directed-Health-Measures.aspx&nbsp;</a>.

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?deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM25135" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html?deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM25135&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;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 - http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus 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 ; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CST, 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">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

LINCOLN, Neb.-Two new deaths related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) were reported to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Wednesday, bringing the state's total death toll to 17.The Central District Health Department reported two COVID-19 related deaths today, a man in his 70s and a woman in her 70s. Both were residents of a long-term care facility. Both died at a hospital in Hall County.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/cdhd.ne.gov" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/cdhd.ne.gov&nbsp;</a>.The South Heartland District Health Department reported the first cases of COVID-19 in Clay and Webster Counties. One is a child and the other is a male in his 30s who is isolating at home.&nbsp;<a href="https://southheartlandhealth.org/" target="_blank">https://southheartlandhealth.org/&nbsp;</a>.Tonight's state case total, as of 6:10 pm Central Daylight Time, is 648. DHHS launched a new data dashboard that provides daily updates to the state's COVID-19 case totals. You can find it at&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>.All 93 Nebraska counties are now covered by state Directed Health Measures (DHMs) until May 11 –&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>. It's critical that Nebraskans follow these enforceable state Directed Health Measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state. These measures help protect each other and those who are more vulnerable to severe illness and death, and help hospitals and clinics from being overwhelmed so they can continue to provide care to families, friends and neighbors who need it.In addition to the state-issued DHM, some Local Health Departments have issued additional restrictions -&nbsp;<a href="http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/COVID-19-Directed-Health-Measures.aspx" target="_blank">http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/COVID-19-Directed-Health-Measures.aspx&nbsp;</a>.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.</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?deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM25135" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html?deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM25135&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;.&nbsp;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 - http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus 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 ; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CST, 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">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

Two more COVID-19 deaths reported in Nebraska, total now 17

WASHINGTON (AP) — At the end of a week officials had warned would be this generation’s Pearl Harbor, White House officials pointed to hopeful signs Friday that the spread of the coronavirus could be slowing, even as President Donald Trump insisted he would not move to reopen the country until it is safe.

At the same time, Trump said he would be announcing the launch of what he dubbed the “Opening our Country” task force next Tuesday to work toward that goal.

“I want to get it open as soon as possible,” he said at a Good Friday briefing, while adding: “The facts are going to determine what I do.”

With the economy reeling and job losses soaring, Trump has been itching to reopen the country, drawing alarm from health experts who warn that doing so too quickly could spark a deadly resurgence that could undermine current distancing efforts.

But Trump, who had once set Easter Sunday as the date he hoped people in certain parts of the country might begin to return to work and pack church pews, said he would continue to listen to health experts like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx as he considers what he described as the “biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.”

While “there are both sides to every argument,” he said, “we’re not doing anything until we know that this country is going be healthy. We don’t want to go back and start doing it over again.”

Trump’s comments came at the end of a week officials had warned would be a devastating one for the country. Hours earlier, Johns Hopkins University announced that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8233264cd1a25eb2e583ef9f5e4f8d37">worldwide death toll from the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;had hit a bleak milestone: 100,000 people. That includes about 18,000 in the U.S., where about half-million people have been confirmed infected.

More than 40% of the deaths in the U.S so far have happened in New York state, which reported 777 new deaths on Friday. But there were also signs of hope. State officials reported that the number of people in intensive care dropped for the first time there since mid-March. Hospitalizations are also slowing, with 290 new patients admitted in a single day versus daily increases of more than 1,000 last week.

While bemoaning the death numbers as “so horrible,” Trump said “tremendous progress” is being made.”

“In the midst of grief and pain, we’re seeing clear signs that our aggressive strategy is saving countless lives,” he said, pointing to models that are now forecasting far fewer U.S. deaths than had originally been predicted.

Health experts have warned, however, that if the country rolls back restrictions too quickly, case levels could once again begin to soar, especially without widespread testing to determine who might be a carrier of the virus. While the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. And research has shown that people can be highly infectious even if they are not displaying symptoms.

Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-diseases expert, told CNN that the timeline for reopening the country would be informed by a team that has been reviewing data day-by-day and presenting that information to the president.

“The virus kind of decides whether or not it’s appropriate to open it,” he said. “The one thing you don’t want to do is you don’t want to get out there prematurely and then wind up backtracking.”

Still, he cautioned that there will most certainly be cases when that day comes.

“When we decide, at a proper time, when we’re going to be relaxing some of the restrictions, there’s no doubt you’re going to see cases,” he said. “The question is how you respond to them.”

As a clearer picture of the virus begins to emerge, data has begun to show that it is having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/71d952faad4a2a5d14441534f7230c7c">a particularly devastating impact</a>&nbsp;on an already vulnerable population — black Americans.

Of the victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials — nearly 3,300 of the nation’s 13,000 deaths thus far — about 42% were black, according to an Associated Press analysis. African Americans account for roughly 21% of the total population in those places. Black adults suffer from higher rates of underlying health conditions like obesity, diabetes and asthma, which put them at higher risk for severe complications.

To that end, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Friday made a plea to minority communities to follow social distancing guidelines — if not for themselves, then for their family members.

“Do it for your abuela. Do it for your granddaddy. Do it for your Big Mama. Do it for your Pop Pop,” he said, adding that they should also avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

“We need you to understand, especially in communities of color, we need you to step up and help stop the spread so that we can protect those who are most vulnerable,” he said.

Asked whether his comments could be deemed offensive for viewers, Adams, who is black, said that was not his intention.

“That’s the language that we use and that I use,” he said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586553667558.png" alt="President Trump and Vice President Pence answer questions during Friday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing" />
 <figcaption>President Trump and Vice President Pence answer questions during Friday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — At the end of a week officials had warned would be this generation’s Pearl Harbor, White House officials pointed to hopeful signs Friday that the spread of the coronavirus could be slowing, even as President Donald Trump insisted he would not move to reopen the country until it is safe.At the same time, Trump said he would be announcing the launch of what he dubbed the “Opening our Country” task force next Tuesday to work toward that goal.“I want to get it open as soon as possible,” he said at a Good Friday briefing, while adding: “The facts are going to determine what I do.”With the economy reeling and job losses soaring, Trump has been itching to reopen the country, drawing alarm from health experts who warn that doing so too quickly could spark a deadly resurgence that could undermine current distancing efforts.But Trump, who had once set Easter Sunday as the date he hoped people in certain parts of the country might begin to return to work and pack church pews, said he would continue to listen to health experts like Drs. Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx as he considers what he described as the “biggest decision I’ve ever had to make.”While “there are both sides to every argument,” he said, “we’re not doing anything until we know that this country is going be healthy. We don’t want to go back and start doing it over again.”Trump’s comments came at the end of a week officials had warned would be a devastating one for the country. Hours earlier, Johns Hopkins University announced that the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/8233264cd1a25eb2e583ef9f5e4f8d37">worldwide death toll from the coronavirus</a>&nbsp;had hit a bleak milestone: 100,000 people. That includes about 18,000 in the U.S., where about half-million people have been confirmed infected.More than 40% of the deaths in the U.S so far have happened in New York state, which reported 777 new deaths on Friday. But there were also signs of hope. State officials reported that the number of people in intensive care dropped for the first time there since mid-March. Hospitalizations are also slowing, with 290 new patients admitted in a single day versus daily increases of more than 1,000 last week.While bemoaning the death numbers as “so horrible,” Trump said “tremendous progress” is being made.”“In the midst of grief and pain, we’re seeing clear signs that our aggressive strategy is saving countless lives,” he said, pointing to models that are now forecasting far fewer U.S. deaths than had originally been predicted.Health experts have warned, however, that if the country rolls back restrictions too quickly, case levels could once again begin to soar, especially without widespread testing to determine who might be a carrier of the virus. While the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people, for some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness or death. And research has shown that people can be highly infectious even if they are not displaying symptoms.Fauci, the nation’s top infectious-diseases expert, told CNN that the timeline for reopening the country would be informed by a team that has been reviewing data day-by-day and presenting that information to the president.“The virus kind of decides whether or not it’s appropriate to open it,” he said. “The one thing you don’t want to do is you don’t want to get out there prematurely and then wind up backtracking.”Still, he cautioned that there will most certainly be cases when that day comes.“When we decide, at a proper time, when we’re going to be relaxing some of the restrictions, there’s no doubt you’re going to see cases,” he said. “The question is how you respond to them.”As a clearer picture of the virus begins to emerge, data has begun to show that it is having&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/71d952faad4a2a5d14441534f7230c7c">a particularly devastating impact</a>&nbsp;on an already vulnerable population — black Americans.Of the victims whose demographic data was publicly shared by officials — nearly 3,300 of the nation’s 13,000 deaths thus far — about 42% were black, according to an Associated Press analysis. African Americans account for roughly 21% of the total population in those places. Black adults suffer from higher rates of underlying health conditions like obesity, diabetes and asthma, which put them at higher risk for severe complications.To that end, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams on Friday made a plea to minority communities to follow social distancing guidelines — if not for themselves, then for their family members.“Do it for your abuela. Do it for your granddaddy. Do it for your Big Mama. Do it for your Pop Pop,” he said, adding that they should also avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs.“We need you to understand, especially in communities of color, we need you to step up and help stop the spread so that we can protect those who are most vulnerable,” he said.Asked whether his comments could be deemed offensive for viewers, Adams, who is black, said that was not his intention.“That’s the language that we use and that I use,” he said.___

White House points to hopeful signs as deaths keep rising

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586573662937.png" alt="loup-basin-4-10-20.png" />
 <figcaption>loup-basin-4-10-20.png</figcaption>
 </figure>

Fourth positive case of COVID-19 identified in Custer County

LINCOLN, Neb.-In response to Congress passing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) filed a request with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutritional Service (FNS) to provide emergency allotment funds for Nebraska households who are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. These emergency allotments will be used to increase the amount of funds SNAP recipients receive for the months of March and April 2020.

No action is needed from SNAP recipients to receive the supplemental support. SNAP recipients will be issued increased benefits on their current EBT cards. Supplemental benefits for March will be issued April 11 and supplemental benefits for April will be issued May 7.

Many Nebraska households rely on SNAP benefits to help purchase groceries. DHHS estimates the emergency allotment from the USDA will be $8,646,530 per month. SNAP is 100% federally funded.

Households receiving SNAP benefits will see supplements to their benefits based on a maximum allotment scale. If there are four individuals in a household and that household is currently receiving $500 in benefits, the supplement will raise their benefits to the maximum allowed for households of four, which is $646 per month – or an increase of $146. Total benefits will be different based on each household’s regular monthly allotments for the months of March and April.

Nebraska Children and Family Services (CFS) director Stephanie Beasley believes this emergency allotment is critical to the health of Nebraska’s most vulnerable. “Right now there is a growing sense of uncertainty in the economy and many people are being laid off or are have a family member who was laid off,” she said. “It is important to make sure Nebraska’s most vulnerable are being well taken care of. Congress is giving us an opportunity to provide even more resources to SNAP recipients and we have a responsibility do everything in our power to secure those benefits.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1571410354379.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb.-In response to Congress passing the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) filed a request with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutritional Service (FNS) to provide emergency allotment funds for Nebraska households who are receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. These emergency allotments will be used to increase the amount of funds SNAP recipients receive for the months of March and April 2020.No action is needed from SNAP recipients to receive the supplemental support. SNAP recipients will be issued increased benefits on their current EBT cards. Supplemental benefits for March will be issued April 11 and supplemental benefits for April will be issued May 7.Many Nebraska households rely on SNAP benefits to help purchase groceries. DHHS estimates the emergency allotment from the USDA will be $8,646,530 per month. SNAP is 100% federally funded.Households receiving SNAP benefits will see supplements to their benefits based on a maximum allotment scale. If there are four individuals in a household and that household is currently receiving $500 in benefits, the supplement will raise their benefits to the maximum allowed for households of four, which is $646 per month – or an increase of $146. Total benefits will be different based on each household’s regular monthly allotments for the months of March and April.Nebraska Children and Family Services (CFS) director Stephanie Beasley believes this emergency allotment is critical to the health of Nebraska’s most vulnerable. “Right now there is a growing sense of uncertainty in the economy and many people are being laid off or are have a family member who was laid off,” she said. “It is important to make sure Nebraska’s most vulnerable are being well taken care of. Congress is giving us an opportunity to provide even more resources to SNAP recipients and we have a responsibility do everything in our power to secure those benefits.”

Emergency SNAP supplements to be issued April 11 and May 7

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska's corrections department has taken aggressive, early steps to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus inside the state's prisons, and so far the efforts appear to be working, the state corrections director said Friday amid growing safety concerns raised by prisoner advocates.

Director Scott Frakes said his agency has done an "exceptional job" of keeping inmates and staff members healthy.

He said one staff member had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday afternoon, and no other cases have shown up among the department's 2,100 employees and 5,500 inmates. The staff member who tested positive has stayed isolated at home for 15 days, he said.

"We have done an exceptional job of keeping COVID-19 out of our prisons," Frakes said at Gov. Pete Ricketts' daily coronavirus news conference.

His comments came as a coalition of prisoner advocacy groups filed an emergency motion in a pending lawsuit to force the agency to release its pandemic prevention plan. The lawsuit,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/318147ef69004fd0a55f4e1cf09707ec" target="_blank">filed in 2017</a>, argues that Nebraska's prison overcrowding and staffing shortages are effectively depriving inmates of critical medical care.

Nebraska's prisons&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6d0a6eead0be2539fc535664f3423481" target="_blank">have faced years of scrutiny from lawmakers</a>, and the department has struggled to recruit and retain employees.

"COVID-19 presents a grave threat to people in Nebraska's prisons, where extreme overcrowding and chronic under-staffing had already put the health and safety of everyone in these facilities at risk," said David Fathi, a leader attorney on the case and director of the ACLU National Prison Project.

ACLU of Nebraska Legal Director Adam Sipple said the department's refusal to provide its pandemic plan raises concerns about what exactly prison officials are doing.

"The Department of Correctional Services needs to demonstrate they are following the advice of public health officials," Sipple said.

Nebraska had 635 confirmed cases and 15 deaths as of Friday afternoon, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. More than 8,700 people have tested negative.

The state reported 57 new cases on Friday, up from 53 on Thursday and 48 on Wednesday.

At the news conference, Frakes said he doesn't plan to release the department's pandemic plan because doing so could anger inmates and reveal security information that would threaten safety in the prisons.

Frakes said the prisons suspended in-person visits to inmates and imposed tough new safety restrictions on all workers while taking steps to keep inmates separated when possible. He acknowledged that it's difficult in some barracks-style areas for low-risk inmates, but said each inmate has been a mask to wear when they're not lying or sitting on their beds.

He said prison officials began planning for the pandemic in early March and quickly restricted visitors' access to the facilities.

He acknowledged that prison officials are only testing inmates who show symptoms of the virus, and employees who think they may have it are told to consult their own doctors.

The department has also changed the way it trains new hires to minimize physical contact among them, Frakes said. He said the department has seen an uptick in job applications, largely due to a surge in layoffs from private businesses that cut back because of the outbreak.

Meanwhile, state officials said the latest coronavirus death on Thursday was an Omaha-area woman in her 60s with underlying health conditions.

The Department of Health and Human Services also reported that Burt County in northeastern Nebraska and Polk County in east-central Nebraska both reported their first cases of the virus on Thursday.

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

By GRANT SCHULTE-Associated PressLINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska's corrections department has taken aggressive, early steps to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus inside the state's prisons, and so far the efforts appear to be working, the state corrections director said Friday amid growing safety concerns raised by prisoner advocates.Director Scott Frakes said his agency has done an "exceptional job" of keeping inmates and staff members healthy.He said one staff member had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday afternoon, and no other cases have shown up among the department's 2,100 employees and 5,500 inmates. The staff member who tested positive has stayed isolated at home for 15 days, he said."We have done an exceptional job of keeping COVID-19 out of our prisons," Frakes said at Gov. Pete Ricketts' daily coronavirus news conference.His comments came as a coalition of prisoner advocacy groups filed an emergency motion in a pending lawsuit to force the agency to release its pandemic prevention plan. The lawsuit,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/318147ef69004fd0a55f4e1cf09707ec" target="_blank">filed in 2017</a>, argues that Nebraska's prison overcrowding and staffing shortages are effectively depriving inmates of critical medical care.Nebraska's prisons&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/6d0a6eead0be2539fc535664f3423481" target="_blank">have faced years of scrutiny from lawmakers</a>, and the department has struggled to recruit and retain employees."COVID-19 presents a grave threat to people in Nebraska's prisons, where extreme overcrowding and chronic under-staffing had already put the health and safety of everyone in these facilities at risk," said David Fathi, a leader attorney on the case and director of the ACLU National Prison Project.ACLU of Nebraska Legal Director Adam Sipple said the department's refusal to provide its pandemic plan raises concerns about what exactly prison officials are doing."The Department of Correctional Services needs to demonstrate they are following the advice of public health officials," Sipple said.Nebraska had 635 confirmed cases and 15 deaths as of Friday afternoon, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. More than 8,700 people have tested negative.The state reported 57 new cases on Friday, up from 53 on Thursday and 48 on Wednesday.At the news conference, Frakes said he doesn't plan to release the department's pandemic plan because doing so could anger inmates and reveal security information that would threaten safety in the prisons.Frakes said the prisons suspended in-person visits to inmates and imposed tough new safety restrictions on all workers while taking steps to keep inmates separated when possible. He acknowledged that it's difficult in some barracks-style areas for low-risk inmates, but said each inmate has been a mask to wear when they're not lying or sitting on their beds.He said prison officials began planning for the pandemic in early March and quickly restricted visitors' access to the facilities.He acknowledged that prison officials are only testing inmates who show symptoms of the virus, and employees who think they may have it are told to consult their own doctors.The department has also changed the way it trains new hires to minimize physical contact among them, Frakes said. He said the department has seen an uptick in job applications, largely due to a surge in layoffs from private businesses that cut back because of the outbreak.Meanwhile, state officials said the latest coronavirus death on Thursday was an Omaha-area woman in her 60s with underlying health conditions.The Department of Health and Human Services also reported that Burt County in northeastern Nebraska and Polk County in east-central Nebraska both reported their first cases of the virus on Thursday.For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.

Nebraska prisons head says 1 worker, no inmates infected

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska is changing its plans to expand Medicaid in a way that will force more recipients to start out with a "basic" plan that doesn't include coverage for dental and vision services or over-the-counter medications, state officials announced Friday.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said the tweaks were necessary because the federal government is occupied right now with its response to the coronavirus pandemic and doesn't have time to approve the state's Medicaid expansion proposal.

Prime coverage that includes all services won't be available until the federal government approves Nebraska's proposed waiver for the program, and that decision will likely get pushed off for another six months.

However, department officials said they still plan to start accepting applications on Aug. 1, as scheduled. Coverage will begin as scheduled on Oct. 1.

"We are going to be going forward with Medicaid expansion ... but it will only be the basic package and not the prime package," Gov. Pete Ricketts said during his daily coronavirus news conference.

Nebraska voters approved a Medicaid expansion measure in 2018 after years of failed attempts to do so through the Republican-dominated state Legislature. The state's Republican governors have remained adamantly opposed to expansion, although Ricketts promised to respect the will of voters after they passed it.

Critics have accused the governor's administration of slow-walking the expansion and imposing burdensome requirements on recipients, a charge his administration denies. Shortly after it was approved, state officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ad6a5d4d307d4459849be1b2166dc5e6" target="_blank">announced a two-tier system of coverage,</a>&nbsp;with a "basic" plan for all newly qualified recipients and a "premium" plan for people who are working, in school, volunteering or caring for a relative.

"Our approach better achieves the purpose of the Medicaid program by incentivizing positive activities that will improve health outcomes and encourage life successes for participants," the department said in a news release.

The basic plan includes coverage for hospitalizations, emergency care, prescription drugs, lab tests, maternity care and other services. The premium plan offers those benefits as well but adds coverage for dental and vision services, and over-the-counter drugs.

To qualify for prime coverage in the first year, recipients would have needed to participate in care and case management, select a primary care provider and have an annual checkup.

But because the federal government has delayed its approval of Nebraska's plan, prime coverage will only be offered to eligible people who are 19 or 20 years old, pregnant or medically frail, the department said.

A leading advocate for expanding Medicaid said the state should simply offer prime coverage to all recipients and stop tinkering with different levels of coverage.

"While we appreciate that coverage will not be further delayed beyond Oct. 1, 2020 ... we maintain they can and should start coverage now," said Molly McCleery of Nebraska Appleseed, an advocacy group for low-income people.

An estimated 90,000 Nebraska residents will qualify for coverage once Medicaid is expanded, and McCleery said doing so now would help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/38453f521049059482fb3f275a8a954d" target="_blank">contain the spread</a>&nbsp;of the coronavirus.

By GRANT SCHULTE-Associated Press

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska is changing its plans to expand Medicaid in a way that will force more recipients to start out with a "basic" plan that doesn't include coverage for dental and vision services or over-the-counter medications, state officials announced Friday.The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said the tweaks were necessary because the federal government is occupied right now with its response to the coronavirus pandemic and doesn't have time to approve the state's Medicaid expansion proposal.Prime coverage that includes all services won't be available until the federal government approves Nebraska's proposed waiver for the program, and that decision will likely get pushed off for another six months.However, department officials said they still plan to start accepting applications on Aug. 1, as scheduled. Coverage will begin as scheduled on Oct. 1."We are going to be going forward with Medicaid expansion ... but it will only be the basic package and not the prime package," Gov. Pete Ricketts said during his daily coronavirus news conference.Nebraska voters approved a Medicaid expansion measure in 2018 after years of failed attempts to do so through the Republican-dominated state Legislature. The state's Republican governors have remained adamantly opposed to expansion, although Ricketts promised to respect the will of voters after they passed it.Critics have accused the governor's administration of slow-walking the expansion and imposing burdensome requirements on recipients, a charge his administration denies. Shortly after it was approved, state officials&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/ad6a5d4d307d4459849be1b2166dc5e6" target="_blank">announced a two-tier system of coverage,</a>&nbsp;with a "basic" plan for all newly qualified recipients and a "premium" plan for people who are working, in school, volunteering or caring for a relative."Our approach better achieves the purpose of the Medicaid program by incentivizing positive activities that will improve health outcomes and encourage life successes for participants," the department said in a news release.The basic plan includes coverage for hospitalizations, emergency care, prescription drugs, lab tests, maternity care and other services. The premium plan offers those benefits as well but adds coverage for dental and vision services, and over-the-counter drugs.To qualify for prime coverage in the first year, recipients would have needed to participate in care and case management, select a primary care provider and have an annual checkup.But because the federal government has delayed its approval of Nebraska's plan, prime coverage will only be offered to eligible people who are 19 or 20 years old, pregnant or medically frail, the department said.A leading advocate for expanding Medicaid said the state should simply offer prime coverage to all recipients and stop tinkering with different levels of coverage."While we appreciate that coverage will not be further delayed beyond Oct. 1, 2020 ... we maintain they can and should start coverage now," said Molly McCleery of Nebraska Appleseed, an advocacy group for low-income people.An estimated 90,000 Nebraska residents will qualify for coverage once Medicaid is expanded, and McCleery said doing so now would help&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/38453f521049059482fb3f275a8a954d" target="_blank">contain the spread</a>&nbsp;of the coronavirus.For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

Coronavirus Update