COVID-19 Weekly Update – March 7
Published on March 07, 2023
Risk Dial remains in low yellow
The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) today announced that the COVID-19 Risk Dial will stay in low yellow for a seventh 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 over the last week – from 246 to 258 for the week ending March 4.
- The 7-day rolling average of hospitalizations increased slightly – from 40 last week to 43 today.
- Wastewater surveillance showed a decrease in the number of virus particles compared to the previous week.
- Two COVID-19 deaths were reported last week – a woman in her 90s and a man in his 60s. Both were hospitalized and unvaccinated. The total is 476.
Current public health guidance is available at COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov.
New Nebraska-specific vaccination data: According to recent data from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, people who were vaccinated without an updated booster were two times less likely to die from COVID-19. People who were vaccinated with an updated booster were 17 times less likely to die from COVID-19 compared with people who were not vaccinated.*
*Source: DHHS Analysis of Nebraska data from Sept. 1, 2022, to Jan. 28, 2023.
The Health Department continues to encourage residents to stay up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations including getting the updated bivalent booster. COVID-19 vaccine and bivalent booster doses are approved for everyone age 6 months and older. You’re up to date when you’ve completed a COVID-19 primary series and got 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.
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.
Video Series: Get the Facts on COVID-19 Vaccine for Young Children – Local physicians share answers to common questions they’ve heard from parents about COVID-19 vaccine. Watch the series so far at http://bit.ly/3X84ndH
Vaccinations administered:
- Initiated vaccinations (first doses): 237,243
- Completed vaccinations (primary series and J&J vaccine): 221,903
- Lancaster County residents - fully vaccinated: 68.4%
- Lancaster County residents - up to date: 19.4%
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 a website to help people find free COVID-19 testing locations – testinglocator.cdc.gov. 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.