testing (copy) (copy)

Mindee Swanson, a nurse practitioner, tests a man in a truck for COVID-19 at OneWorld Community Health Center in Omaha earlier this year.

 ANNA REED/THE WORLD-HERALD

Nebraska has set records the past few weeks for daily and weekly cases.

The current surge of COVID-19 patients in Nebraska hospitals drew concern Friday from the medical chiefs of three large Omaha-based health systems, who called on residents to do their part to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Omaha-area hospitals on Friday were treating 393 COVID-19 patients, a figure that was more than double the number from about a week and a half ago.

At the current rate, Douglas County Health Director Adi Pour said, that figure could double again within two weeks — and then double again.

“What that means is by Christmas, we could actually have more than 1,600 ... COVID patients in our local hospitals,” she said.

The medical directors, Pour and Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert spoke Friday at a press conference to encourage people to wear masks and heed other public health advice to limit the spread of the virus.

Douglas County has seen an “extreme increase” in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, including a bump in cases in people ages 10 to 19, Pour said. She named schools as one of three places that are contributing to clusters of new cases, along with long-term care facilities and large retailers like Walmart.

In his own press conference Friday, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts warned that new restrictions could be imposed if COVID-19 patients fill too many staffed hospital beds, based on a 14-day rolling average.

Those restrictions — including limiting indoor gatherings to 10 people and closing bars except for delivery and takeout — could come if COVID-19 patients fill 25% or more of all hospital beds.

Such patients already make up about 25% of the patients being treated by Nebraska Medicine, CHI Health and Methodist Health System, their medical chiefs said Friday.

Currently, 20% of beds in the state are filled by COVID-19 patients, for a total of 905 on Thursday. Under that threshold, hospitals must postpone all surgeries that can be delayed for four to 12 weeks.

Dr. Cary Ward, CHI Health’s chief medical officer, said the health system supports the state directives and has already begun scaling back. All three health systems began cutting back on some procedures about two weeks ago.

As beds have been freed, hospitals have shifted staff to help on COVID-19 wards and have repurposed space to add beds. They’re also looking at additional options, such as tapping staff in clinics.

“We want to make it clear this is serious,” Ward said, “but our hospitals at CHI Health in an extreme crisis will not be considered full until every operating room, recovery room and even hallway are in use.”

Dr. William Lydiatt, Methodist’s chief medical officer, noted that the system had yet to tap the staff and beds of the area’s specialty hospitals.

But the 25% mark — 1,170 COVID-19 patients — isn’t far off. With the number hospitalized with the virus increasing by about 25 a day, Ward estimated that the state could hit it within eight to 12 days.

Given that hospitalizations usually lag new cases by two to three weeks, he said, “continued growth is expected for a period of time, no matter what we do.”

But he said he has no doubt that the governor’s measures, if followed, will reduce transmission.

Ricketts warns of tighter restrictions, but no mask mandate, if hospitalizations keep rising

Dr. Harris Frankel, Nebraska Medicine’s chief medical officer, said that he believes that Omaha is in a solid position but that medical providers need help from the public.

“We know that we could face challenges,” he said. “We very well could exceed capacities, if transmission rates and subsequent hospitalizations rates don’t decline.”

Outside of Omaha, Ralston Mayor Don Groesser implored people to follow public health advice. His Friday press conference was held at the same time that his best friend of 50 years was being laid to rest in Syracuse — one of the 775 people in Nebraska who have died of the virus.

Ralston is surrounded by Omaha on the north, east and west, but it isn’t subject to Omaha’s mask mandate, which has caused some confusion, Groesser said during a press conference.

By law, Ralston cannot implement its own mask mandate. Groesser said he and some City Council members would like to do so, but any mandate would have to come from the state.

All Ralston can do, he said, is ask its residents to “consider their neighbors” by wearing masks, social distancing and following other guidance.

Recent complaints about gatherings at a Ralston bar and dance hall demonstrate the disconnect between Ralston and Omaha’s mask mandate.

COVID changes Thanksgiving week plans for school districts in Omaha area

People have called the city and complained on social media about events at Bushwackers Dance Hall & Saloon at 7401 Main St. Photos from recent Husker watch parties and a concert have shown large crowds of people not wearing masks and dancing, eating and drinking.

Ralston Police Chief Marc Leonardo said the events in question occurred before Ricketts issued new health measures that took effect earlier this week.

“What they were doing was perfectly in line (with the law),” he said.

Leonardo said officials have been talking to bar ownership to encourage safe practices.

Raechel Van Buskirk, the general manager, said Bushwackers is following all directed health measures that went into effect at midnight Wednesday. They take the temperature of people who enter, and tables are spaced out. The bar is no longer allowing dancing, and it has increased the number of staff members to cut down on how many people have to leave their tables to go to the bar, she said.

Van Buskirk said the bar is encouraging masks, and employees have the option of wearing them. But “I’m not choosing to force our customers to wear masks,” she said.

Elsewhere in the state, Lincoln and Lancaster County officials announced Friday that they will step up restrictions through the city and county’s directed health measure.

Among the measures: Indoor gatherings will be limited to 10 people, or 25% of a facility’s capacity; all businesses that sell alcohol must end alcohol sales no later than 10 p.m. and close no later than 11 p.m.; indoor team youth sports — including club sports and K-12 schools — are canceled until after Dec. 7; and licensed party buses may not operate until after Dec. 7.

The new measures will take effect Monday.

“We must take action now, before the hospitals are overflowing,” said Pat Lopez, director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.

World-Herald staff writer Jeffrey Robb contributed to this report.

Our best staff images from November 2020

reece.ristau@owh.com, 402-444-1127, @reecereports

Originally published on omaha.com, part of the BLOX Digital Content Exchange.

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