LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Nebraska dipped below 900 for the first time in more than two weeks Sunday, but hospital capacity remains strained across the state.
Nebraska said 896 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 statewide on Sunday, down from the previous day's 911 and nearly 100 below the record of 987 set on Nov. 20. The number of hospitalizations has nearly quadrupled since the start of October when 227 people were being treated in hospitals.
Nebraska also said that coronavirus patients are occupying 22% of the state's hospital beds. If that number reaches 25%, Gov. Pete Ricketts has said he will impose additional social distancing restrictions.
The state reported 1,143 new cases of the virus to give it a total of 126,466 cases since the pandemic began. The number of deaths remained unchanged at 989.
Nebraska had the sixth-highest rate of infection in the nation on Sunday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Over the past week, one out of evert 156 people in the state was diagnosed with COVID-19.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska decreased over the past two weeks, going from 2,062.71 new cases per day on Nov. 15 to 1,756.29 new cases per day on Sunday.