OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska has passed the grim milestone of 1,000 deaths linked to the coronavirus, and the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 remains high in the state.
Officials reported 29 new deaths Monday to give the state 1,018 total since the pandemic began. The state also reported 1,941 new cases of the virus to push the total up to 128,407.
The number of people being treated for the virus in hospitals grew Monday to 907 from the previous day's 896. That remains below the record of 987 that was set on Nov. 20, but the total is four times higher than it was two months ago.
The state said COVID-19 patients are filling 23% of Nebraska's hospital beds. If that number reaches 25%, additional social distancing restrictions will be imposed across the state.
Nebraska continued to have the sixth-highest rate of infections in the nation on Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska declined over the past two weeks, going from 2,027.43 new cases per day on Nov. 16 to 1,772.14 new cases per day on Monday.