Gov. Ricketts adds additional businesses to state’s directed health measure
It includes nail/beauty salons and team sports.
Governor Pete Ricketts announced that the State’s tenth COVID-19 related Directed Health Measure (DHM) includes new businesses. The measure is being issued to bring greater consistency between state and local DHMs, which had previously closed a handful of categories not covered by the state. It will be in effect beginning tonight at 12:00am.
Read the new DHM by clicking here.
Additions to the Statewide DHM
- All beauty/nail salons, barber shops, massage therapy services, gentlemen’s clubs, bottle clubs, indoor theatres, and tattoo parlors/studios are closed until April 30, 2020.
- All organized team sports, youth and adult, including but not limited to club sports are suspended until May 31, 2020.
- Auto racing is now specifically listed in the social gathering section.
o Drivers and their crews are considered patrons/invitees not staff.
State-Issued DHM Provisions (Apply Statewide)
- Imposes an enforceable, 10-person limit on public gatherings.
- Prohibits medical and dental elective surgeries and procedures.
- Requires schools (public, private, and parochial) to operate without students through May 31, 2020.
- Cancels all school-related extracurricular activities through May 31, 2020.
- Requires restaurants and bars to close their dining areas and move to takeout, delivery, and/or curbside service only.
- Requires individuals to home quarantine for at least 14 days if:
o They have tested positive for COVID-19.
o They have a fever of 100.4° F or above.
o They have experienced sudden onset of a cough and/or shortness of breath.
o They reside or have resided with individuals who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 or have the above symptoms.
- NOTE: The quarantine requirement excludes those individuals with seasonal allergies, COPD, or other diagnoses that may produce respiratory symptoms. Additionally, the directive doesn’t apply to patients who have an alternative non-COVID-19 diagnosis from a healthcare provider. These patients should follow the treatment and guidance provided by their healthcare provider for such conditions.
o Some individuals in home quarantine may not experience the onset of symptoms until the latter half of their 14-day quarantine period. In this case, the length of their quarantine may exceed 14 days. Individuals should remain in quarantine until 7 days have passed since onset of symptoms, symptoms have improved, and they have been fever-free for at least 72 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication.
- NOTE: See the DHM for additional direction on household members living with those in quarantine.
- The DHM’s limitation on public gatherings does not apply to:
o Retail or grocery stores where people should maintain six feet of distance from one another.
o Child care centers that may be operated at a school per the Governor’s executive order regarding childcare, which you can access by clicking here.
o Other locations detailed in the DHM.
Locally Issued DHMs (Apply Only to Particular LHDs)
- In addition to the State-issued DHM, some Local Health Departments (LHDs) have issued additional restrictions.
- For example, the Central District, Douglas, Lancaster, Sarpy/Cass, and Two Rivers LHDs have closed salons, tattoo parlors, and other similar businesses in their jurisdictions for the time being.
- Locally issued Directed Health Measures can be found at the links below:
o Central District Health Department – Local DHM
o Douglas County Health Department – Local DHM
o Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department – Local DHM
