LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska appears to have avoided a post-Christmas spike in coronavirus cases that many had feared, although it's not entirely clear why, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday.
It may be because people followed virus safety guidelines warning against attending holiday gatherings, Ricketts said during a news conference.
"I think a lot of Nebraskans made modifications to their holiday get togethers," he said. "I'd also say, there's also a lot of we don't know about this virus."
The Republican governor said the decision not to impose a statewide lockdown may also have played a role because it helped avoid pandemic fatigue that leads some people to break the recommendations. Other states, such as California, have reported large increases in cases in December.
"We tried to strike a balance in Nebraska," Ricketts said.
Nebraska has imposed restrictions on crowd sizes and public spaces, but has never imposed a stay-at-home order or a statewide mask mandate.
The state saw a sharp increase in virus hospitalizations in mid-November, raising concerns about bed space and burnout among hospital workers. The numbers have since declined, although public health officials say it's important for residents to continue following social distancing safety guidelines.
The state said 475 people were being treated for COVID-19 in Nebraska hospitals on Sunday, up slightly from the previous day but down from 517 at the start of January. The number of hospitalizations is less than half of the November peak, but it remains more than double where it was at the start of October.
Nebraska reported 406 confirmed new virus cases Sunday to give the state 176,026 in total. That is significantly below the average of 1,051.14 new cases per day the state has been reporting over the past week.
The state reported 1,760 deaths on Sunday after an error in the data was corrected over the weekend. That is 57 higher than it was last Wednesday.
Across the state 3,079 virus vaccines were administered on Saturday. The state has administered just over half of the 141,428 vaccine doses it has received.