COVID-19 Risk Dial Remains in Red

Published on January 12, 2021

Directed Health Measure extended two weeks

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) today announced that the COVID-19 Risk Dial remains in red for the tenth consecutive week, indicating that the risk of the virus spreading in the community continues to be severe. On the color-coded dial, red represents the highest risk of COVID-19 spread, and green represents the lowest risk.  The dial is now updated every Tuesday.

The current Directed Health Measure has been extended through January 29.

The position of the Risk Dial is based on multiple local indicators and information from the previous three weeks. 

  • The weekly number of new cases has increased from 926 the week ending December 26 to about 1,200 the last two weeks.  So far this week, 362 new cases have been reported.  The seven-day rolling average of new cases increased from about 130 at the end of December to 168 at the end of last week.  
  • The positivity rate remains extremely high and was near 29 percent the week ending January 9. 
  • While testing remains widely available in the community, the number of people getting tested has declined locally and across the State.  Test results can be expected within 24 hours.
  • The number of COVID-19 patients hospitalized locally was down to 83 patients on December 24, but is up to 103 today, with 69 patients from Lancaster County and 34 from other communities.

In December, 74 Lancaster County residents died from COVID-19, and 22 have died so far in January.  Those 96 deaths are 55 percent of the community’s 175 COVID-19 deaths.

For more information, visit COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov or call the Health Department hotline at 402-441-8006.

 

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