Two more COVID deaths reported

This event was previously live-streamed and has since ended.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and the local health department hold a press conference to update the community on our coronavirus cases and new Direct Health Measures (DHM).

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Although the COVID-19 Risk Dial, remains in the red, Lancaster County has seen its first decline in new coronavirus cases since the week of Sept. 19.

Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director Pat Lopez said, “We’ve gone from an all-time high of 2112 cases the week ending December 5 down to 1430 cases last week, a decline of about 32%.”

But, Director Lopez cautions that our coronavirus number still remains high, but it’s an optimistic sign.

“So it is going to take longer than just two weeks to come down to an overall safer level and to move the dial out of red… Alternately, as of this week, we are confident that we have turned a corner in case numbers are going down.”

Officials with the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) report two more COVID deaths for the county, bringing the community total to 135.

The individuals have been identified as a woman in her 90s who was in a long-term care facility, and a man in his 40s who was hospitalized.

Additionally, 149 new COVID-19 cases were reported, pushing the community total to 20,741.

The county is reporting 6,108 people have recovered from COVID-19, up from 6,082.

LLCHD says 86 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 (49 from Lancaster County). A total of 11 are on ventilators.

The positivity rate in Lancaster County so far this week is 27.4%.