COVID-19 Weekly Update – February 14

Published on February 14, 2023

Risk Dial remains in low yellow

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) today announced that the COVID-19 Risk Dial will remain in low yellow for a fourth week. The yellow position on the dial indicates that the risk of the virus spreading in the community is moderate. On the color-coded dial, red represents the highest risk of COVID-19 spread, and green represents the lowest risk. 

The position of the risk dial is based on multiple indicators: 

  • Cases increased again over the last week – from 206 to 263 for the week ending February 11. 
  • The 7-day rolling average of hospitalizations remains stable – from 31 last week to 31 today. 
  • Wastewater surveillance again showed a decrease in the number of virus particles compared to the previous week. 
  • No COVID-19 deaths were reported last week. The total remains at 473.

Current public health guidance is available at COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov.

Recent COVID-19 developments include:

  • XBB.1.5 variant – LLCHD has identified additional local cases of omicron variant XBB.1.5. The Health Department continues to monitor the situation closely and how the arrival of the new variant affects the community.
  • Vaccine effectiveness – A February 9 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that the updated bivalent booster can help save lives. Vaccinated people who received the bivalent booster were 14 times less likely to die compared with those who received no vaccine and three times less likely to die compared with those who received only the original primary series and/or original boosters, according to the study.

The Health Department continues to encourage everyone to stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations including getting the updated bivalent booster. You’re up to date when you’ve completed a COVID-19 primary series and received the most recent booster dose recommended for you. If you’ve completed your primary series but aren’t yet eligible for a booster, you’re also considered up to date.

The CDC also added COVID-19 vaccines to its schedule of routinely recommended vaccinations. The updated vaccination schedules for children, teens and adults were released on February 9. The schedules provide a roadmap of recommended vaccinations throughout a lifetime.

Vaccinations: COVID-19 vaccine and updated bivalent booster doses are approved for everyone age 6 months and older. Benefits of the bivalent booster include protection against variants that weren’t included in the previous vaccines, and restoration of the body’s immunity against COVID-19. Even if you’ve had other COVID-19 boosters, it’s still important to get the updated one.

LLCHD offers bivalent boosters and the primary series onsite at the Health Department, 3131 “O” St.  Appointments can be scheduled online at COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov or by calling 402-441-4200. Walk-ins are also welcome Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Local pharmacies also offer COVID-19 vaccinations by appointment. Visit vaccines.gov to find a pharmacy near you.

Vaccinations administered:

  • Initiated vaccinations (first doses): 237,177
  • Completed vaccinations (primary series and J&J vaccine): 221,789
  • Lancaster County residents - fully vaccinated: 68.3%
  • Lancaster County residents - up to date: 19.1%

COVID-19 testing: At-home test kits are available in the main lobby of the LLCHD, 3131 ”O” St., during regular business hours. Test kits are also available at all Lincoln City Library locations. Lancaster County residents can report results of their at-home COVID-19 tests to the Health Department. The form is available at lincoln.ne.gov/COVID19ReportResults. All information is confidential. Those requiring assistance completing the form may call LLCHD at 402-441-8006.

Every home in the U.S. can order another round of free, at-home tests from the federal government this winter. Visit covidtests.gov to place an order. The Food and Drug Administration extended the shelf lives of many home COVID-19 tests. To determine if a test has a new expiration date, visit At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests | FDA.

The CDC recently launched testinglocator.cdc.gov to help people find free COVID-19 testing locations. The website is part of a federal program called Increasing Community Access to Testing (ICATT) for COVID-19. COVID-19 testing is available at no cost at ICATT locations for people with or without health insurance who are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19. The tests are billed to third-party payers, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers. People without health insurance do not have to pay for COVID-19 testing at ICATT sites. 

For more information on testing or other COVID-19-related topics, visit COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov or call the LLCHD hotline at 402-441-8006.

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