LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska continued Saturday to see an increase in novel coronavirus infections, with confirmed cases approaching 14,000. It also reported another six COVID-19-related deaths.
State Department of Health and Human Services data showed the number of coronavirus cases rose by 4.9% or 644 from Thursday night to Saturday evening, to 13,905 since the pandemic began. The state is now reporting 170 COVID-19-related deaths, up 3.7% since Thursday night.
Despite steady increases in cases, Gov. Pete Ricketts has moved to ease social-distancing restrictions, starting Monday. The relaxed rules will allow for larger crowds at public events, and bars and other attractions will reopen for the first time in months.
For some infected people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.