OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska set yet another record Wednesday in the number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus as as the total number of virus cases surged above 60,000.
The state said 400 people were hospitalized with COVID-19, up from the previous day's record of 380. Health officials say they are working with hospitals across the state to make sure they have capacity to treat all those patients, and the state has offered $40 million to help hospitals add capacity as needed.
Nebraska reported 899 new virus cases and 11 new deaths Wednesday on its online virus tracker to give the state 60,308 cases and 576 deaths since the pandemic began. The rate of new cases in the state remains fifth-highest in the nation, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
The rate of new cases per 100,000 Nebraska residents over the past two weeks increased to 565.6 on Wednesday, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska jumped over the past two weeks from 530.43 new cases per day on Oct. 7 to 838 new cases per day on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services reported that three more of its staff members have tested positive and are self-isolating at home. The staff members worked at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, the Nebraska Correctional Central for Women and the department's administrative office.
The new confirmed cases bring the total number of diagnosed staff members to 181, according to the department. Of those known cases, 148 people have recovered.
The Community Corrections Center-Lincoln was placed under quarantine earlier this week after four inmates who lived in the same room all tested positive.
The four infected inmates were on the men's side of the facility, but officials said they placed the entire prison under quarantine out of caution.