OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska saw yet another increase in known coronavirus cases and hospitalizations as health officials urged residents Friday to wear masks and avoid large gatherings.
State officials reported 2,124 new cases statewide and 720 active hospitalizations as of Thursday evening. The numbers have been trending sharply upward over the last two weeks.
Nebraska has now tested a little more than 1 million people, with 78,012 positives and 674 deaths statewide since the pandemic began, according to the state's online tracking portal.
Nebraska Medicine posted a fresh warning Friday on its Twitter account: "We can't continue on this course. More cases = more hospitalizations = more deaths. Please do your part to avoid large gatherings, wear a mask and all the things we've been sharing with you over the course of the pandemic."
Meanwhile, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services announced that four more staff members have tested positive for the virus. All were self-isolating at home, the department said in a news release. So far, 216 department staff members have been diagnosed with the virus.