OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - After more cases of COVID-19 were reported in Nebraska, including a doctor, Omaha-area health officials took steps Wednesday to further limit gatherings to try stop the virus' spread.
The Douglas County Board of Health issued an order limiting gatherings within the county, which includes Omaha, to no more than 10 people. The order also says that a venue must be large enough for all people in any gathering to be at least 6 feet apart from each other.
The order is effective through April 30. It excludes a multitude of businesses, services and situations. Those exclusions include courts, government operations, airports and public transportation, shopping venues, shelters and households with more than 10 people. Child care facilities, however, are limited to the 10-person order.
The order calls on law enforcement to ensure compliance.
The department's director, Dr. Adi Pour, said in the order that she believes any delay in implementing the measure "would significantly jeopardize the ability to prevent or limit the transmission of a communicable disease and pose unacceptable risks" to people.
The order comes on the heels of similar measures being taken across the U.S. to limit exposure to the coronavirus, including limits on crowd size, closing schools and businesses and postponing upcoming primary elections. In the U.S., the death toll from the virus surpassed 100, and officials urged older Americans and those with health problems to stay home.
The doctor who tested positive for the virus saw patients over the weekend at Bellevue Medical Center before developing symptoms, Nebraska Medicine spokesman Taylor Wilson said. The hospital is part of the Nebraska Medicine system.
Hospital employees and nine patients who had contact with the doctor have been notified, Wilson said.
For most people, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
The doctor's initial test results are awaiting confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wilson said in a news release Tuesday night. The doctor is experiencing mild symptoms and is in isolation at home, Wilson said.
State officials said late Tuesday that the number of known Nebraska cases had risen to 24. The total includes a man in his 50s from Lincoln County who recently was on a cruise and traveled to California.