By GRANT SCHULTE-Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska will see tighter coronavirus restrictions in less than two weeks if the number of infected people getting hospitalized continues to increase at its current rate, based on new benchmarks announced Friday.
Gov. Pete Ricketts said he will impose new social-distancing mandates on bars, restaurants and other places where people gather if the number of hospitalized virus patients rises to 25% of the state's overall hospital bed capacity.
As of Thursday night, the state's hospitals held 905 virus patients - about 20% of their current capacity, Ricketts said at a news conference. The number of patients has been growing by about 25 per day, and if that trend continues, Nebraska's hospitals would reach the 25% benchmark in about 11 days.
"This is a very serious situation for our hospitals, and we all need to be a part of slowing down the virus," Ricketts said via a video link livestreamed at the Capitol. Ricketts and his wife were exposed to the virus earlier this week during an outdoor dinner with friends.
The new potential restrictions would prohibit extracurricular activities for students below high school level, limit bars to carry-out and delivery services and cap all indoor gatherings at 10 people, among other measures. Elective surgeries such as hip and knee replacements would also have to be postponed.
If the number of hospitalized patients rises above the new threshold for even one day, the tighter restrictions would remain in place until the seven-day average of patients drops back to a safer level.
Ricketts warned Thursday that he would order restrictions very similar to the ones that he put into effect in earlier this year if the state's current trajectory continues.
Top doctors at Nebraska's largest hospital sounded a similar alarm Friday in a virtual news conference, but stressed that they've been preparing for more patients and that their facilities are still safe. Although beds are quickly filling, they said they still have an adequate supply of ventilators.
"With the staff we have, Nebraska is still in good hands," said Dr. Harris Frankel, chief medical officer of Nebraska Medicine.
Because hospitalizations tend to lag behind new coronavirus cases, Frankel said it's unlikely that Nebraska will be able to stem the current increases in patients over the next week.
"But we can change the trajectory through the end of November," he said.
The doctors stopped short of calling for a statewide mask mandate - a step that Ricketts, a Republican, has repeatedly refused to take - but urged residents to wear one voluntarily while in close, confined contact with other people.
"That will do an enormous amount of good," said Dr. Cary Ward, chief medical officer of CHI Health.
Frankel said: "I think there is a likely to be a higher rate of participation when something is mandated."
Nebraska confirmed 2,611 new virus cases on Thursday, bringing the total number to 92,553 since the pandemic began, according to the state's online tracking portal. The number of active hospitalizations has risen sharply over the last few weeks, and 756 people in Nebraska have died from the virus since the pandemic began.
The state's hospitals still have 25% of their beds available, 27% of their intensive care unit beds and 70% of their ventilators.
For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and those with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.