LINCOLN, Neb. (DHHS)-Avoiding public spaces and working remotely can help to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but for those experiencing domestic violence, staying home may be a dangerous prospect, especially as job losses and financial strain continue to escalate.

“Domestic violence is rooted in power and control,” said Sheri Dawson, director of the Division of Behavioral Health. In a time where employees work remotely, and the CDC is encouraging social distancing, abusers may take advantage of an already stressful situation to gain more control. We are all feeling a lack of control in our day-to-day lives right now. An individual who cannot manage, will take it out on their victim. Survivors already in an abusive situation will likely face more extreme violence when they can no longer leave by going to work, visiting with family and friends. Social connectedness and safety planning with friends and family has never been more important.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The National Domestic Violence Hotline outlines how COVID-19 could impact intimate partner violence survivors:

Every situation of violence is different and needs different responses. For example, friends and family can interrupt or intervene to support loved ones, even during a pandemic. Agree on a code word that will alert you that your loved one needs an interruption from you or an outside intervention from the authorities. One codeword could mean “call me now, so I can move to another room.” Another code word could mean “knock on my door now.” A third codeword could mean “please call the authorities.”

If you are experiencing abuse, having a safety plan laid out can help you to protect yourself during this stressful time. A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that includes ways to remain safe while in a relationship, planning to leave, or after you leave. You can learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMjAwMDEyODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVob3RsaW5lLm9yZy9oZWxwL3BhdGgtdG8tc2FmZXR5LyJ9.vLoNAyATdoxFCEC5zgsFm5KZGoeozpvyBb8iiqgkUKo%2Fbr%2F77265821695-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C9380902ea1914a1dcbc108d7dd564c48%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637221235023801143&amp;sdata=ev0WlzeCKkmEl%2FZSzOuGao6YERSybdzFe5MGk9V3a1E%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">safety plans here</a>, and you can find an&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMjAwMDEyODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5sb3ZlaXNyZXNwZWN0Lm9yZy9mb3IteW91cnNlbGYvc2FmZXR5LXBsYW5uaW5nL2ludGVyYWN0aXZlLXNhZmV0eS1wbGFuLyJ9.wOQsh6EE24n16Hpq2xcPsijMkIzavgudt-WAvrK_y88%2Fbr%2F77265821695-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C9380902ea1914a1dcbc108d7dd564c48%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637221235023801143&amp;sdata=UNWCam7oYMaLCQFWJb25W3zR0f5MU2tQacHwQIddpes%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">interactive guide to safety planning here</a>. Because there may be limited shelter availability due to COVID-19, consider alternatives such as staying with family or friends, staying in motels, or sleeping in your vehicle. If you’re a friend or family member of someone experiencing abuse, encourage your loved one to think about their wellbeing, safety plan and practice self-care while they are in their home.

There are local and national resources for help. In Nebraska, reach out to the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMjAwMDEyODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5uZWJyYXNrYWNvYWxpdGlvbi5vcmcvZ2V0X2hlbHAvIn0.an4HDJtXu0UZ0UqYDCCkXdFq69FSp7klA_i-4Mhv8ss%2Fbr%2F77265821695-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C9380902ea1914a1dcbc108d7dd564c48%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637221235023811092&amp;sdata=x3IGeUdNLY%2FEr616PjbxvS%2BOWhX87tsU3LgohVzqTNg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.nebraskacoalition.org/get_help/</a>&nbsp;or at (402) 476-6256. The Coalition maintains an online list of Nebraska’s network of domestic violence and sexual assault programs, spanning the state from Gering to Omaha. The Nebraska Family Helpline can be reached at (888) 866-8660.

National resources include the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233 (or log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522); The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) 1-800-656-4673, and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, 1-866-331-9474.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586534346955.png" alt="<a href="https://www.needpix.com/photo/1862971/violence-against-women-domestic-abuse-violence-aggression-sexism-harassment-bullying-frighten">Photo:&nbsp;Tumisu (pixabay.com)</a>" />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.needpix.com/photo/1862971/violence-against-women-domestic-abuse-violence-aggression-sexism-harassment-bullying-frighten">Photo:&nbsp;Tumisu (pixabay.com)</a></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (DHHS)-Avoiding public spaces and working remotely can help to reduce the spread of COVID-19, but for those experiencing domestic violence, staying home may be a dangerous prospect, especially as job losses and financial strain continue to escalate.“Domestic violence is rooted in power and control,” said Sheri Dawson, director of the Division of Behavioral Health. In a time where employees work remotely, and the CDC is encouraging social distancing, abusers may take advantage of an already stressful situation to gain more control. We are all feeling a lack of control in our day-to-day lives right now. An individual who cannot manage, will take it out on their victim. Survivors already in an abusive situation will likely face more extreme violence when they can no longer leave by going to work, visiting with family and friends. Social connectedness and safety planning with friends and family has never been more important.”&nbsp;&nbsp;The National Domestic Violence Hotline outlines how COVID-19 could impact intimate partner violence survivors:<ol>
 <li>Abusive partners may withhold necessary items, such as hand sanitizer or disinfectants.</li><li>Abusive partners may share misinformation about the pandemic to control or frighten survivors, or to prevent them from seeking appropriate medical attention if they have symptoms.</li><li>Abusive partners may withhold insurance cards, threaten to cancel insurance, or prevent survivors from seeking medical attention if they need it.</li><li>Programs that serve survivors may be significantly impacted – shelters may be full or may even stop intakes altogether. Survivors may also fear entering a shelter because of being in close quarters with groups of people.</li><li>Survivors who are older or have chronic heart or lung conditions may be at increased risk in public places where they would typically get support, like shelters, counseling centers, or courthouses.</li><li>Travel restrictions may impact a survivor’s escape or safety plan – it may not be safe for them to use public transportation or to fly.</li><li>An abusive partner may feel more justified and escalate their isolation tactics.</li>
 </ol>Every situation of violence is different and needs different responses. For example, friends and family can interrupt or intervene to support loved ones, even during a pandemic. Agree on a code word that will alert you that your loved one needs an interruption from you or an outside intervention from the authorities. One codeword could mean “call me now, so I can move to another room.” Another code word could mean “knock on my door now.” A third codeword could mean “please call the authorities.”If you are experiencing abuse, having a safety plan laid out can help you to protect yourself during this stressful time. A safety plan is a personalized, practical plan that includes ways to remain safe while in a relationship, planning to leave, or after you leave. You can learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMjAwMDEyODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy50aGVob3RsaW5lLm9yZy9oZWxwL3BhdGgtdG8tc2FmZXR5LyJ9.vLoNAyATdoxFCEC5zgsFm5KZGoeozpvyBb8iiqgkUKo%2Fbr%2F77265821695-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C9380902ea1914a1dcbc108d7dd564c48%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637221235023801143&amp;sdata=ev0WlzeCKkmEl%2FZSzOuGao6YERSybdzFe5MGk9V3a1E%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">safety plans here</a>, and you can find an&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMjAwMDEyODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5sb3ZlaXNyZXNwZWN0Lm9yZy9mb3IteW91cnNlbGYvc2FmZXR5LXBsYW5uaW5nL2ludGVyYWN0aXZlLXNhZmV0eS1wbGFuLyJ9.wOQsh6EE24n16Hpq2xcPsijMkIzavgudt-WAvrK_y88%2Fbr%2F77265821695-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C9380902ea1914a1dcbc108d7dd564c48%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637221235023801143&amp;sdata=UNWCam7oYMaLCQFWJb25W3zR0f5MU2tQacHwQIddpes%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">interactive guide to safety planning here</a>. Because there may be limited shelter availability due to COVID-19, consider alternatives such as staying with family or friends, staying in motels, or sleeping in your vehicle. If you’re a friend or family member of someone experiencing abuse, encourage your loved one to think about their wellbeing, safety plan and practice self-care while they are in their home.There are local and national resources for help. In Nebraska, reach out to the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMjAwMDEyODEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5uZWJyYXNrYWNvYWxpdGlvbi5vcmcvZ2V0X2hlbHAvIn0.an4HDJtXu0UZ0UqYDCCkXdFq69FSp7klA_i-4Mhv8ss%2Fbr%2F77265821695-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7C9380902ea1914a1dcbc108d7dd564c48%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637221235023811092&amp;sdata=x3IGeUdNLY%2FEr616PjbxvS%2BOWhX87tsU3LgohVzqTNg%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.nebraskacoalition.org/get_help/</a>&nbsp;or at (402) 476-6256. The Coalition maintains an online list of Nebraska’s network of domestic violence and sexual assault programs, spanning the state from Gering to Omaha. The Nebraska Family Helpline can be reached at (888) 866-8660.National resources include the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233 (or log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522); The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN) 1-800-656-4673, and the National Teen Dating Abuse Helpline, 1-866-331-9474.

Combating domestic violence during the coronavirus pandemic

The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/carl-kurlander-998977">Carl Kurlander</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-pittsburgh-854">University of Pittsburgh</a>

(THE CONVERSATION) The fear and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic may feel new to many of us. But it is strangely familiar to those who lived through the polio epidemic of the last century.

Like a horror movie, throughout the first half of the 20th century, the polio virus arrived&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/polio-us.html">each summer, striking without warning</a>. No one knew how polio was transmitted or what caused it. There were wild theories that the virus spread from&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=JumHQwdeAd0C&amp;pg=PA10&amp;lpg=PA10&amp;dq=Paul+offit+cats+bananas+caused+polio&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=xe3GuWPgiK&amp;sig=ACfU3U0IMY6kBzq4ObB4dFGfYXonwvS5SA&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjaj5T7xrHoAhVfgnIEHRtjD2MQ6AEwAnoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&amp;q=Paul%20offit%20cats%20bananas%20caused%20polio&amp;f=false">imported bananas or stray cats</a>. There was no known cure or vaccine.

For the next four decades,&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=p4YRDAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA72&amp;lpg=PA72&amp;dq=polio+oshinsky+swimming+pools+closed+each+summer+playgrounds&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=XQDhmCcXjf&amp;sig=ACfU3U1JWg5hO33KcCWBwUzeXtpT_O01Mg&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjUkdT43bHoAhUfl3IEHRq7AI0Q6AEwCXoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&amp;q=polio%20oshinsky%20swimming%20pools%20closed%20each%20summer%20playgrounds&amp;f=false">swimming pools and movie theaters closed during polio season</a>for fear of this invisible enemy. Parents stopped sending their children to playgrounds or birthday parties for fear they would “catch polio.”

In the outbreak of 1916, health workers in New York City would physically remove children from their homes or playgrounds if they suspected they might be infected. Kids, who seemed to be targeted by the disease, were taken from their families and isolated in sanitariums.

In 1952, the number of polio cases in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/polio">peaked at 57,879</a>, resulting in 3,145 deaths. Those who survived this highly infectious disease could end up with some form of paralysis, forcing them to use crutches, wheelchairs or to be put into&nbsp;<a href="https://amhistory.si.edu/polio/howpolio/ironlung.htm">an iron lung</a>, a large tank respirator that would pull air in and out of the lungs, allowing them to breathe.

Ultimately, poliomyelitis was conquered in 1955 by a vaccine developed by Jonas Salk and his team at the University of Pittsburgh.

In conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebration of the polio vaccine, I produced a documentary, “<a href="https://www.steeltown.org/poliofilm/">The Shot Felt ‘Round the World,</a>” that told the stories of the many people who worked alongside Salk in the lab and participated in vaccine trials. As a filmmaker and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.filmandmedia.pitt.edu/people/carl-kurlander">senior lecturer</a>&nbsp;at the University of Pittsburgh, I believe these stories provide hope in the fight to combat another unseen enemy, coronavirus.

Before a vaccine was available, polio caused more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/polio-us.html">15,000 cases of paralysis a year</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. It was the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/56324818/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/polio-vaccine-how-us-most-feared-disease-was-eradicated/#.XnkqpNNKiL8">most feared disease of the 20th century</a>. With the success of the polio vaccine, Jonas Salk, 39, became one of the most celebrated scientists in the world.

He refused a patent for his work, saying the vaccine belonged to the people and that to patent it would be like “patenting the Sun.” Leading drug manufacturers made the vaccine available, and&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.24.3.622">more than 400 million doses</a>&nbsp;were distributed between 1955 and 1962, reducing the cases of polio by 90%. By the end of the century, the polio scare had become a faint memory.

Developing the vaccine was a collective effort, from national leadership by President Franklin Roosevelt to those who worked alongside Salk in the lab and the volunteers who rolled up their sleeves to be experimentally inoculated.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp9V2p40kKw">Sidney Busis</a>, a young physician at the time, performed tracheotomies on two-year-old children, making an incision in their necks and enclosing them in iron lung to artificially sustain their breathing. His wife Sylvia was terrified that he would transmit polio to their two young sons when he came home at night.

In the Salk lab, a graduate student, Ethyl “Mickey” Bailey, pipetted by mouth – pulling liquid up thin glass tubes – live polio virus as part of the research process.

My own neighbor, Martha Hunter, was in grade school when her parents volunteered her for “the shot,” the experimental Salk vaccine that no one knew if it would work.

<a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/franklin-roosevelt-founds-march-of-dimes">President Roosevelt,</a>&nbsp;who kept his own paralysis from polio hidden from the public, organized the nonprofit National Institute of Infant Paralysis, later known as the March of Dimes. He encouraged every American to send dimes to the White House to support treating polio victims and researching a cure. In the process, he changed American philanthropy, which had been largely the domain of the wealthy.

That was a time, said Salk’s oldest son, Dr. Peter Salk, in an interview for our film, when the public trusted the medical community and believed in each other. I believe that’s an idea we need to resurrect today.

Jonas Salk was 33 when he began his medical research in a basement lab at the University of Pittsburgh. He had wanted to work on influenza but switched to polio, an area where research funding was more available. Three floors above his lab was a polio ward filled to capacity with adults and children in iron lungs and rocking beds to help them breathe.

There were many false leads and dead ends in pursuing remedies. Even President Roosevelt traveled to Warm Springs, Georgia, believing that the water there might have curative effects. While most in the scientific community believed that a&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.5501/wjv.v1.i4.108">live polio virus vaccine</a>&nbsp;was the answer, Salk went against medical orthodoxy.

He pursued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/jonas-salk-and-albert-bruce-sabin">killed virus vaccine</a>, trying it first on cells in the lab, then monkeys and, next, young people who already had polio. There were no guarantees this would work. Ten years earlier, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.passporthealthusa.com/2019/06/how-was-the-polio-vaccine-developed/">different polio vaccine</a>&nbsp;had inadvertently given kids polio, killing nine of them.

In 1953, Salk was given permission to test the vaccine on healthy children and began with his three sons, followed by a vaccination pilot study of 7,500 children in local Pittsburgh schools. While the results were positive, the vaccine still needed to be tested more widely to gain approval.

In 1954, the March of Dimes organized a national field trial of 1.8 million schoolchildren, the&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.317.7167.1233">largest medical study in history</a>. The data was processed and on April 12, 1955, six years from when Salk began his research, the Salk polio vaccine was declared “safe and effective.” Church bells rang and newspapers across the world claimed “Victory Over Polio.”

In adapting our documentary for broadcast on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-shot-to-save-the-world_b_4151327">Smithsonian Channel</a>, we interviewed Bill Gates, who explained why the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had made eradicating polio worldwide a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2011/01/31/133377748/bill-gates-goal-get-rid-of-polio-forever">top priority</a>.

Vaccines, he said, have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZvpF6gaGH4">saved millions of lives</a>. He joined the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Rotary International and others to help finish the job started by the Salk vaccine, eradicating polio in the world. This accomplishment will free up resources that will no longer have to be spent on the disease.

Up until now,&nbsp;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/smallpox-is-the-only-human-disease-to-be-eradicated-heres-how-the-world-achieved-it">smallpox</a>&nbsp;is the only infectious disease we have ever eliminated. But&nbsp;<a href="http://polioeradication.org/news-post/five-ways-the-fight-against-polio-is-a-fight-against-other-diseases/">the global infrastructure</a>&nbsp;that the polio eradication effort has put in place is helping to fight other infectious diseases also, such as Ebola, malaria and now coronavirus. On Feb. 5, 2020, the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation announced it would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2020/02/Bill-and-Melinda-Gates-Foundation-Dedicates-Additional-Funding-to-the-Novel-Coronavirus-Response">provide US$100 million</a>&nbsp;to improve detection, isolation and treatment efforts and accelerate the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus.

These are frightening times as the coronavirus spreads in ways reminiscent of poliomyelitis. It’s instructive to remember what it took to nearly eradicate polio and a reminder of what we can do when faced with a common enemy. On Oct. 24, 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/10/24/20930553/polio-outbreak-2019-eradication-who">World Polio Day</a>, WHO announced there were only 94 cases of wild polio in the world. The success of the polio vaccine launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1704507114">series of vaccines</a>&nbsp;that negated many of the effects of infectious disease for the second half of the 20th century.

At the end of our film, Salk’s youngest son, Dr. Jonathan Salk, recounted how his father wondered every day why we couldn’t apply the spirit of what happened with the development of the polio vaccine to other problems, such as disease or poverty. In fighting coronavirus, perhaps the citizens and governments of the world will rise to the occasion and demonstrate what is possible when we work together.

[Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research.&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&amp;utm_medium=inline-link&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter-text&amp;utm_content=upper-coronavirus-facts">Sign up for our newsletter.</a>]

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here:&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-deadly-polio-epidemic-and-why-it-matters-for-coronavirus-133976">https://theconversation.com/the-deadly-polio-epidemic-and-why-it-matters-for-coronavirus-133976</a>.

The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/carl-kurlander-998977">Carl Kurlander</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-pittsburgh-854">University of Pittsburgh</a>(THE CONVERSATION) The fear and uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic may feel new to many of us. But it is strangely familiar to those who lived through the polio epidemic of the last century.Like a horror movie, throughout the first half of the 20th century, the polio virus arrived&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/polio-us.html">each summer, striking without warning</a>. No one knew how polio was transmitted or what caused it. There were wild theories that the virus spread from&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=JumHQwdeAd0C&amp;pg=PA10&amp;lpg=PA10&amp;dq=Paul+offit+cats+bananas+caused+polio&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=xe3GuWPgiK&amp;sig=ACfU3U0IMY6kBzq4ObB4dFGfYXonwvS5SA&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjaj5T7xrHoAhVfgnIEHRtjD2MQ6AEwAnoECAoQAQ#v=onepage&amp;q=Paul%20offit%20cats%20bananas%20caused%20polio&amp;f=false">imported bananas or stray cats</a>. There was no known cure or vaccine.For the next four decades,&nbsp;<a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=p4YRDAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA72&amp;lpg=PA72&amp;dq=polio+oshinsky+swimming+pools+closed+each+summer+playgrounds&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=XQDhmCcXjf&amp;sig=ACfU3U1JWg5hO33KcCWBwUzeXtpT_O01Mg&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjUkdT43bHoAhUfl3IEHRq7AI0Q6AEwCXoECAwQAQ#v=onepage&amp;q=polio%20oshinsky%20swimming%20pools%20closed%20each%20summer%20playgrounds&amp;f=false">swimming pools and movie theaters closed during polio season</a>for fear of this invisible enemy. Parents stopped sending their children to playgrounds or birthday parties for fear they would “catch polio.”In the outbreak of 1916, health workers in New York City would physically remove children from their homes or playgrounds if they suspected they might be infected. Kids, who seemed to be targeted by the disease, were taken from their families and isolated in sanitariums.In 1952, the number of polio cases in the U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/polio">peaked at 57,879</a>, resulting in 3,145 deaths. Those who survived this highly infectious disease could end up with some form of paralysis, forcing them to use crutches, wheelchairs or to be put into&nbsp;<a href="https://amhistory.si.edu/polio/howpolio/ironlung.htm">an iron lung</a>, a large tank respirator that would pull air in and out of the lungs, allowing them to breathe.Ultimately, poliomyelitis was conquered in 1955 by a vaccine developed by Jonas Salk and his team at the University of Pittsburgh.In conjunction with the 50th anniversary celebration of the polio vaccine, I produced a documentary, “<a href="https://www.steeltown.org/poliofilm/">The Shot Felt ‘Round the World,</a>” that told the stories of the many people who worked alongside Salk in the lab and participated in vaccine trials. As a filmmaker and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.filmandmedia.pitt.edu/people/carl-kurlander">senior lecturer</a>&nbsp;at the University of Pittsburgh, I believe these stories provide hope in the fight to combat another unseen enemy, coronavirus.Pulling together as a nationBefore a vaccine was available, polio caused more than&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/polio-us.html">15,000 cases of paralysis a year</a>&nbsp;in the U.S. It was the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/56324818/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/polio-vaccine-how-us-most-feared-disease-was-eradicated/#.XnkqpNNKiL8">most feared disease of the 20th century</a>. With the success of the polio vaccine, Jonas Salk, 39, became one of the most celebrated scientists in the world.He refused a patent for his work, saying the vaccine belonged to the people and that to patent it would be like “patenting the Sun.” Leading drug manufacturers made the vaccine available, and&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.24.3.622">more than 400 million doses</a>&nbsp;were distributed between 1955 and 1962, reducing the cases of polio by 90%. By the end of the century, the polio scare had become a faint memory.Developing the vaccine was a collective effort, from national leadership by President Franklin Roosevelt to those who worked alongside Salk in the lab and the volunteers who rolled up their sleeves to be experimentally inoculated.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp9V2p40kKw">Sidney Busis</a>, a young physician at the time, performed tracheotomies on two-year-old children, making an incision in their necks and enclosing them in iron lung to artificially sustain their breathing. His wife Sylvia was terrified that he would transmit polio to their two young sons when he came home at night.In the Salk lab, a graduate student, Ethyl “Mickey” Bailey, pipetted by mouth – pulling liquid up thin glass tubes – live polio virus as part of the research process.My own neighbor, Martha Hunter, was in grade school when her parents volunteered her for “the shot,” the experimental Salk vaccine that no one knew if it would work.<a href="https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/franklin-roosevelt-founds-march-of-dimes">President Roosevelt,</a>&nbsp;who kept his own paralysis from polio hidden from the public, organized the nonprofit National Institute of Infant Paralysis, later known as the March of Dimes. He encouraged every American to send dimes to the White House to support treating polio victims and researching a cure. In the process, he changed American philanthropy, which had been largely the domain of the wealthy.That was a time, said Salk’s oldest son, Dr. Peter Salk, in an interview for our film, when the public trusted the medical community and believed in each other. I believe that’s an idea we need to resurrect today.What it took to end polioJonas Salk was 33 when he began his medical research in a basement lab at the University of Pittsburgh. He had wanted to work on influenza but switched to polio, an area where research funding was more available. Three floors above his lab was a polio ward filled to capacity with adults and children in iron lungs and rocking beds to help them breathe.There were many false leads and dead ends in pursuing remedies. Even President Roosevelt traveled to Warm Springs, Georgia, believing that the water there might have curative effects. While most in the scientific community believed that a&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.5501/wjv.v1.i4.108">live polio virus vaccine</a>&nbsp;was the answer, Salk went against medical orthodoxy.He pursued a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencehistory.org/historical-profile/jonas-salk-and-albert-bruce-sabin">killed virus vaccine</a>, trying it first on cells in the lab, then monkeys and, next, young people who already had polio. There were no guarantees this would work. Ten years earlier, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.passporthealthusa.com/2019/06/how-was-the-polio-vaccine-developed/">different polio vaccine</a>&nbsp;had inadvertently given kids polio, killing nine of them.In 1953, Salk was given permission to test the vaccine on healthy children and began with his three sons, followed by a vaccination pilot study of 7,500 children in local Pittsburgh schools. While the results were positive, the vaccine still needed to be tested more widely to gain approval.In 1954, the March of Dimes organized a national field trial of 1.8 million schoolchildren, the&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.317.7167.1233">largest medical study in history</a>. The data was processed and on April 12, 1955, six years from when Salk began his research, the Salk polio vaccine was declared “safe and effective.” Church bells rang and newspapers across the world claimed “Victory Over Polio.”Vaccinations and global health securityIn adapting our documentary for broadcast on the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/a-shot-to-save-the-world_b_4151327">Smithsonian Channel</a>, we interviewed Bill Gates, who explained why the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had made eradicating polio worldwide a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2011/01/31/133377748/bill-gates-goal-get-rid-of-polio-forever">top priority</a>.Vaccines, he said, have&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZvpF6gaGH4">saved millions of lives</a>. He joined the World Health Organization, UNICEF, Rotary International and others to help finish the job started by the Salk vaccine, eradicating polio in the world. This accomplishment will free up resources that will no longer have to be spent on the disease.Up until now,&nbsp;<a href="https://ourworldindata.org/smallpox-is-the-only-human-disease-to-be-eradicated-heres-how-the-world-achieved-it">smallpox</a>&nbsp;is the only infectious disease we have ever eliminated. But&nbsp;<a href="http://polioeradication.org/news-post/five-ways-the-fight-against-polio-is-a-fight-against-other-diseases/">the global infrastructure</a>&nbsp;that the polio eradication effort has put in place is helping to fight other infectious diseases also, such as Ebola, malaria and now coronavirus. On Feb. 5, 2020, the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation announced it would&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2020/02/Bill-and-Melinda-Gates-Foundation-Dedicates-Additional-Funding-to-the-Novel-Coronavirus-Response">provide US$100 million</a>&nbsp;to improve detection, isolation and treatment efforts and accelerate the development of a vaccine for the coronavirus.These are frightening times as the coronavirus spreads in ways reminiscent of poliomyelitis. It’s instructive to remember what it took to nearly eradicate polio and a reminder of what we can do when faced with a common enemy. On Oct. 24, 2019,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/10/24/20930553/polio-outbreak-2019-eradication-who">World Polio Day</a>, WHO announced there were only 94 cases of wild polio in the world. The success of the polio vaccine launched a&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1704507114">series of vaccines</a>&nbsp;that negated many of the effects of infectious disease for the second half of the 20th century.At the end of our film, Salk’s youngest son, Dr. Jonathan Salk, recounted how his father wondered every day why we couldn’t apply the spirit of what happened with the development of the polio vaccine to other problems, such as disease or poverty. In fighting coronavirus, perhaps the citizens and governments of the world will rise to the occasion and demonstrate what is possible when we work together.[Get facts about coronavirus and the latest research.&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters?utm_source=TCUS&amp;utm_medium=inline-link&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter-text&amp;utm_content=upper-coronavirus-facts">Sign up for our newsletter.</a>]This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here:&nbsp;<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-deadly-polio-epidemic-and-why-it-matters-for-coronavirus-133976">https://theconversation.com/the-deadly-polio-epidemic-and-why-it-matters-for-coronavirus-133976</a>.

The deadly polio epidemic and why it matters for coronavirus

NEW YORK (AP) — As New York City deals with a mounting coronavirus death toll, the city has shortened the amount of time it will hold unclaimed remains. 

The medical examiner’s office says it will now keep bodies in storage for just 14 days before they’re buried in the city’s potter’s field on Hart Island. 

Normally, about 25 bodies a week are interred on the island, mostly for people who go unclaimed by relatives or whose families can’t afford a funeral. 

City officials say that in recent days, burial operations on the island have increased to five days a week, with around 24 burials each day.

NEW YORK (AP) — As New York City deals with a mounting coronavirus death toll, the city has shortened the amount of time it will hold unclaimed remains. The medical examiner’s office says it will now keep bodies in storage for just 14 days before they’re buried in the city’s potter’s field on Hart Island. Normally, about 25 bodies a week are interred on the island, mostly for people who go unclaimed by relatives or whose families can’t afford a funeral. City officials say that in recent days, burial operations on the island have increased to five days a week, with around 24 burials each day.

As virus kills, NYC shortens deadline for claiming dead

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The chairman of the Nebraska Legislature’s budget-writing committee is bracing for a sharp drop in tax revenue that could affect the state for the next three years. 

Sen. John Stinner, head of the Appropriations Committee, made the comments in a webinar hosted by the Platte Institute, a Nebraska think tank. 

Stinner says he can’t predict how the coronavirus outbreak will affect the state’s finances, but he speculates that it could force lawmakers to shelve any bill that costs money, including property tax measures and a business incentive package.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The chairman of the Nebraska Legislature’s budget-writing committee is bracing for a sharp drop in tax revenue that could affect the state for the next three years. Sen. John Stinner, head of the Appropriations Committee, made the comments in a webinar hosted by the Platte Institute, a Nebraska think tank. Stinner says he can’t predict how the coronavirus outbreak will affect the state’s finances, but he speculates that it could force lawmakers to shelve any bill that costs money, including property tax measures and a business incentive package.

Nebraska budget chairman warns of major loss of tax revenue

The COVID-19 pandemic continues throughout the world and in the panhandle cities of Alliance and Chadron. Fuel prices continue to decline.&nbsp;

Gasoline prices appear to be falling multiple times each week. 

April 8 through April 10 prices ranged from $1.93 to $1.99 in Alliance. 

In Chadron prices were around $1.99 - $2.13 from the gas stations we researched.&nbsp;

By Kalin Krohe, Panhandle PostThe COVID-19 pandemic continues throughout the world and in the panhandle cities of Alliance and Chadron. Fuel prices continue to decline.&nbsp;Gasoline prices appear to be falling multiple times each week. April 8 through April 10 prices ranged from $1.93 to $1.99 in Alliance. In Chadron prices were around $1.99 - $2.13 from the gas stations we researched.&nbsp;Alliance gas station signs:&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586529743746.jpeg" alt="Yes Way" />
 <figcaption>Yes Way</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586529773303.jpeg" alt="J and J's Pitstop" />
 <figcaption>J and J's Pitstop</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586529798673.jpeg" alt="Maverik" />
 <figcaption>Maverik</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586529820982.jpeg" alt="Nick's Gas" />
 <figcaption>Nick's Gas</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586529841729.jpeg" alt="WESTCO" />
 <figcaption>WESTCO</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586529895221.jpeg" alt="Git' N Split - Sinclair&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Git' N Split - Sinclair&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>Chadron gas station signs:<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586530088470.jpeg" alt="Pump and Pantry (Photo by Dave Feddersen)" />
 <figcaption>Pump and Pantry (Photo by Dave Feddersen)</figcaption>
 </figure><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586530256143.jpeg" alt="Common Cents (Photo by Dave Feddersen)" />
 <figcaption>Common Cents (Photo by Dave Feddersen)</figcaption>
 </figure>

Fuel prices continue to slide in Alliance, Chadron 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has twisted itself into knots over President Donald Trump’s new coronavirus aid request, as Democrats refused to rubber stamp his proposal for $250 billion more to boost small businesses, demanding modifications along with an additional $250 billion for health care providers and states. Republicans wouldn’t go along.

The standoff Thursday doesn’t end the pursuit of more rescue funds, but it came as the government reported that 6.6 million more people filed for unemployment benefits last week, increasing worries that the economy is sliding toward a severe recession. The small business program at issue is off to a rocky rollout.

GOP leader Mitch McConnell sought to keep Thursday’s debate limited to Trump’s request and wouldn’t accept Democratic additions. Even if the GOP plan had succeeded in the Senate, the Democratic-controlled House is determined to make changes to ensure small businesses in minority communities benefit from the burst of government funding.

Democrats and Republicans agree the aid is urgently needed and talks are sure to continue, but it reinforces that Congress and the White House will need to find bipartisan agreement — especially with lawmakers scattered in their states and districts and both the House and Senate unable to conduct roll-call votes.

“Nobody thinks this will be the Senate’s last word on COVID-19," McConnell said. “Let’s continue to work together, with speed and bipartisanship. We will get through this crisis together.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared the Senate vote merely a “stunt" as the country faces an “epic” crisis. She ridiculed the administration for trying to jam a $250 billion request through Congress with 48 hours notice with little data to back it up.

“Really?” Pelosi said on a conference call with reporters.

The stall comes as communities across the nation strain to meet health care needs and salvage local economies pummeled by the crisis. A new jobless report shows a whopping 16.8 million Americans are now out of work.

The massive infusions of federal cash — the $250 billion sought by the administration would come on top of combined legislation already totaling about $2.5 trillion -- are intended as a patch to help the $21 trillion U.S. economy through the current recession, which is causing an economic contraction and a spike in joblessness that is overwhelming many state systems for delivering unemployment benefits.

With Congress all but shuttered — and unlikely to return April 20, as planned — lawmakers pledged to keep negotiating with the White House.

McConnell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin say the “paycheck protection” program, which involves direct subsidies to companies to keep employees on payroll and pay company rent, is on track to quickly deplete its first $350 billion infusion as businesses rush to apply for the aid.

Democrats are not opposed to boosting the payroll fund, but they want to ensure that the new program delivers benefits to businesses in minority communities that are often under-served by traditional lenders.

“What the secretary requested and the bill that the Senate majority leader brought to the floor would never pass the House,” she said. “It is a basis for some negotiation.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., accused McConnell of trying to ram through legislation and detailed a variety of glitches in the program, including fears that many big lenders are not serving minority neighborhoods.

Democrats are pressing for half of the White House request, or $125 billion, to be channeled through community-based financial institutions that serve farmers and family-, women-, minority- and veteran-owned small businesses and nonprofits in rural, tribal, suburban and urban communities.

They circulated a $500 billion plan that would include the Trump request and add $100 billion for hospitals and other health care providers and $150 billion to state and local governments, as well as a 15% boost in food stamp benefits. They hope this serves as a basis for talks with McConnell going forward.

With Capitol Hill virtually shut down, legislation is most easily passed through unanimous agreement, which is often not an easy task.

Another complication is lone wolf Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who promises to block efforts to pass such huge legislation through the House without lawmakers present and ready to vote. The Senate is used to passing legislation by unanimous consent, but the House is more typically driven by the majority party imposing its will.

Pelosi said McConnell’s request “simply can’t” advance through the Democratic-controlled House under unanimous consent.

The future of the legislation is likely to be largely determined by a small, familiar group of senior Washington hands, including Pelosi, McConnell and Mnuchin, along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Vice President Mike Pence convened another day of conference calls with lawmakers and the coronavirus task force, talking separately with Senate Republicans and Democrats, on the crisis and federal response.

The Senate convened for the brief pro-forma session with just four senators present — none in masks — to consider the dueling proposals.

Senate Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who presided over the brief session, told reporters it is “unlikely” the chamber will reopen April 20 as planned.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586471272238.png" alt="President Trump arrives for Thursday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing-image courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>President Trump arrives for Thursday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing-image courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has twisted itself into knots over President Donald Trump’s new coronavirus aid request, as Democrats refused to rubber stamp his proposal for $250 billion more to boost small businesses, demanding modifications along with an additional $250 billion for health care providers and states. Republicans wouldn’t go along.The standoff Thursday doesn’t end the pursuit of more rescue funds, but it came as the government reported that 6.6 million more people filed for unemployment benefits last week, increasing worries that the economy is sliding toward a severe recession. The small business program at issue is off to a rocky rollout.GOP leader Mitch McConnell sought to keep Thursday’s debate limited to Trump’s request and wouldn’t accept Democratic additions. Even if the GOP plan had succeeded in the Senate, the Democratic-controlled House is determined to make changes to ensure small businesses in minority communities benefit from the burst of government funding.Democrats and Republicans agree the aid is urgently needed and talks are sure to continue, but it reinforces that Congress and the White House will need to find bipartisan agreement — especially with lawmakers scattered in their states and districts and both the House and Senate unable to conduct roll-call votes.“Nobody thinks this will be the Senate’s last word on COVID-19," McConnell said. “Let’s continue to work together, with speed and bipartisanship. We will get through this crisis together.”House Speaker Nancy Pelosi declared the Senate vote merely a “stunt" as the country faces an “epic” crisis. She ridiculed the administration for trying to jam a $250 billion request through Congress with 48 hours notice with little data to back it up.“Really?” Pelosi said on a conference call with reporters.The stall comes as communities across the nation strain to meet health care needs and salvage local economies pummeled by the crisis. A new jobless report shows a whopping 16.8 million Americans are now out of work.The massive infusions of federal cash — the $250 billion sought by the administration would come on top of combined legislation already totaling about $2.5 trillion -- are intended as a patch to help the $21 trillion U.S. economy through the current recession, which is causing an economic contraction and a spike in joblessness that is overwhelming many state systems for delivering unemployment benefits.With Congress all but shuttered — and unlikely to return April 20, as planned — lawmakers pledged to keep negotiating with the White House.McConnell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin say the “paycheck protection” program, which involves direct subsidies to companies to keep employees on payroll and pay company rent, is on track to quickly deplete its first $350 billion infusion as businesses rush to apply for the aid.Democrats are not opposed to boosting the payroll fund, but they want to ensure that the new program delivers benefits to businesses in minority communities that are often under-served by traditional lenders.“What the secretary requested and the bill that the Senate majority leader brought to the floor would never pass the House,” she said. “It is a basis for some negotiation.”Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., accused McConnell of trying to ram through legislation and detailed a variety of glitches in the program, including fears that many big lenders are not serving minority neighborhoods.Democrats are pressing for half of the White House request, or $125 billion, to be channeled through community-based financial institutions that serve farmers and family-, women-, minority- and veteran-owned small businesses and nonprofits in rural, tribal, suburban and urban communities.They circulated a $500 billion plan that would include the Trump request and add $100 billion for hospitals and other health care providers and $150 billion to state and local governments, as well as a 15% boost in food stamp benefits. They hope this serves as a basis for talks with McConnell going forward.With Capitol Hill virtually shut down, legislation is most easily passed through unanimous agreement, which is often not an easy task.Another complication is lone wolf Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who promises to block efforts to pass such huge legislation through the House without lawmakers present and ready to vote. The Senate is used to passing legislation by unanimous consent, but the House is more typically driven by the majority party imposing its will.Pelosi said McConnell’s request “simply can’t” advance through the Democratic-controlled House under unanimous consent.The future of the legislation is likely to be largely determined by a small, familiar group of senior Washington hands, including Pelosi, McConnell and Mnuchin, along with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.Vice President Mike Pence convened another day of conference calls with lawmakers and the coronavirus task force, talking separately with Senate Republicans and Democrats, on the crisis and federal response.The Senate convened for the brief pro-forma session with just four senators present — none in masks — to consider the dueling proposals.Senate Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., who presided over the brief session, told reporters it is “unlikely” the chamber will reopen April 20 as planned.___

Senators block new virus aid, Pelosi decries 'stunt'

By&nbsp;JIM MCLEAN, Kansas News Service

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly is suing a GOP-led panel of legislative leaders that blocked her executive order limiting religious services and funerals to 10 or fewer people.&nbsp;

The Democrat also said Thursday that it isn’t clear whether her previous order from late March, meant to stop the spread of COVID-19, is still in effect. The attorney general has said he believes so.&nbsp;

Kelly said that her legal team thinks only the full Legislature can revoke an executive order, not the Legislative Coordinating Council. She wants the state Supreme Court to take up the issue quickly.&nbsp;

Kelly expanded her initial restrictions on gatherings&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/sites/kcur/files/eo_20-14_executed.pdf">from March 24</a>&nbsp;to include church services. It took effect Wednesday, and applied to attendees, but not choirs, ministers or others who were taking part in a ceremony.&nbsp;

With Easter services just days away, five Republican legislative leaders contended the move was an unconstitutional restriction on worship. Attorney General Derek Schmidt said his office suggested Kelly issued an “overreaching executive order.” Based on advice from her chief counsel, Kelly said she believed the expansion was legal.

Many churches already had canceled services or had moved them online. But by Wednesday afternoon, all of the Republicans on the seven-member Legislative Coordinating Council&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/kansas-gop-upends-gov-kelly-s-limits-church-services-and-potentially-all-gatherings">voted to rescind Kelly’s executive order</a>.&nbsp;

Not long after, Kelly held a news conference in which she called the decision “shockingly irresponsible” and said her legal team was looking into their options. Schmidt later issued a statement that said the original executive order from March 24 was still in effect because the one that limited church gatherings and funerals hadn’t yet been published in the Kansas Register.

Before Thursday's news conference, Kelly's official Facebook page addressed the situation, saying that the "physical church ... has never defined Kansans' deep and abiding faith."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586465261139.png" alt="Kansas Governor Laura Kelly during Thursday's news conference on the decision to fight the GOP-led legislative leaders in court" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Governor Laura Kelly during Thursday's news conference on the decision to fight the GOP-led legislative leaders in court</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;JIM MCLEAN, Kansas News ServiceKansas Gov. Laura Kelly is suing a GOP-led panel of legislative leaders that blocked her executive order limiting religious services and funerals to 10 or fewer people.&nbsp;(audio begins at 2:20)<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FGovLauraKelly%2Fvideos%2F155161369154168%2F&show_text=0&width=560" width="560" height="315" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>The Democrat also said Thursday that it isn’t clear whether her previous order from late March, meant to stop the spread of COVID-19, is still in effect. The attorney general has said he believes so.&nbsp;Kelly said that her legal team thinks only the full Legislature can revoke an executive order, not the Legislative Coordinating Council. She wants the state Supreme Court to take up the issue quickly.&nbsp;Kelly expanded her initial restrictions on gatherings&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/sites/kcur/files/eo_20-14_executed.pdf">from March 24</a>&nbsp;to include church services. It took effect Wednesday, and applied to attendees, but not choirs, ministers or others who were taking part in a ceremony.&nbsp;With Easter services just days away, five Republican legislative leaders contended the move was an unconstitutional restriction on worship. Attorney General Derek Schmidt said his office suggested Kelly issued an “overreaching executive order.” Based on advice from her chief counsel, Kelly said she believed the expansion was legal.Many churches already had canceled services or had moved them online. But by Wednesday afternoon, all of the Republicans on the seven-member Legislative Coordinating Council&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kcur.org/post/kansas-gop-upends-gov-kelly-s-limits-church-services-and-potentially-all-gatherings">voted to rescind Kelly’s executive order</a>.&nbsp;Not long after, Kelly held a news conference in which she called the decision “shockingly irresponsible” and said her legal team was looking into their options. Schmidt later issued a statement that said the original executive order from March 24 was still in effect because the one that limited church gatherings and funerals hadn’t yet been published in the Kansas Register.Before Thursday's news conference, Kelly's official Facebook page addressed the situation, saying that the "physical church ... has never defined Kansans' deep and abiding faith."

 🎥 Kan. Gov. goes to court to keep ban on large gatherings, including church

Lincoln –&nbsp;One new death related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Wednesday, bringing&nbsp;the state’s total death toll to 15.

Douglas County announced its sixth death, a woman in her 60s with underlying health conditions –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5kb3VnbGFzY291bnR5aGVhbHRoLmNvbS9sYXRlc3QtbmV3cyJ9.jTefW3_if8NK28Za29KjDLh1wC_z8ilDTfzsq0fbIqo%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086162042&amp;sdata=CdVexAmtlOWt6gKjhF7L6j51liDZbsiq4Qt6sXwivEI%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.douglascountyhealth.com/latest-news</a>.

Burt County reported its first COVID-19 case, a woman in her 70s with travel history –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5mYWNlYm9vay5jb20vZWx2cGhkL3Bob3Rvcy9hLjYzNjI3OTQ4OTc4NzAwMy8yOTQxMjgwMDU1OTUzNTkwLz90eXBlPTMmdGhlYXRlciJ9.Fg1WQ93NhL8qNuBJIipVyC8ucFRh8mrcnUwApd9dOY4%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086172041&amp;sdata=jL4s4sDaayDribGlkyhedX8MCuz1Z2Bv6d7YtVekXUQ%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.facebook.com/elvphd/photos/a.636279489787003/2941280055953590/?type=3&amp;theater</a>.

Polk County also reported its first COVID-19 case, a woman in her 40s who is self-isolating at home. Her case is under investigation –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5mYWNlYm9vay5jb20vUG9say1Db3VudHktSGVhbHRoLURlcGFydG1lbnQtMTM4NjY5MDIyODI2ODk2LyJ9.-2tP-AWgyB6EhKMUZZ946DomerZb1R9EcwTWPFaMMJo%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086182030&amp;sdata=wWtIn1p0I9WOSAl2WxNk9Pb%2FC%2FhQJ7Z1p1lCWo2ZSbA%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.facebook.com/Polk-County-Health-Department-138669022826896/</a>.

Tonight's state case total, as of 6:00 pm Central Daylight Time, is 577. DHHS launched a new data dashboard that provides daily updates to&nbsp;the state's COVID-19 case totals. You can find it at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvY29yb25hdmlydXMifQ.OilxfMROmx6eDo3PHfBEe-leenWp28-jXisp8Y8SZuI%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086182030&amp;sdata=36sx5Oo%2BPjeWf5r3s%2BeHCQA1nlvTn1olxvy2nlng%2Fig%3D&amp;reserved=0">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>.

All 93 Nebraska counties are now covered by state Directed Health Measures (DHMs) until May 11 –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvY29yb25hdmlydXMifQ.7eClKWZMygNNMGFKyr77hOvmDqhFZW_VWKRl_fRA2kg%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086192022&amp;sdata=JiwyR9mY2Ir%2B2Hjo2SdYhIF5kvnpGlkBCkBv7i0fNVs%3D&amp;reserved=0">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>. It's critical that Nebraskans follow these enforceable state Directed Health Measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state. These measures help protect each other and those who&nbsp;are more vulnerable to severe illness and death, and help hospitals and clinics from being overwhelmed so they can continue to provide care to families, friends and neighbors who need it.

In addition to the state-issued DHM, some Local Health Departments have issued additional restrictions -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvUGFnZXMvQ29yb25hdmlydXMuYXNweCNTZWN0aW9uTGluazEifQ.x8sKp1EJ3sDos-pOsZTNzOxOD42XGEXQDle1A4qRw7I%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086192022&amp;sdata=hr3KLD2cx3CcxWXKck2SVmoghQrsIg8arTU8FjeJ5EI%3D&amp;reserved=0">http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx#SectionLink1</a>.

DHHS supports Governor Ricketts in urging Nebraskans to follow the&nbsp;Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy.

Recent studies show that a significant portion of people with COVID-19 lack symptoms and those that eventually develop symptoms can pass&nbsp;the virus to others before showing symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery&nbsp;stores, pharmacies, etc.) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ficm-tracking.meltwater.com%2Flink.php%3FDynEngagement%3Dtrue%26H%3D5eXH0qSKdBRphS6WO4YlQwwSTi8wtQOqejFjZKiddbCzZ5Bbl4XDYcjuo3kW3irLZnZlGIrH%252FNW2CXDfRsy0d334bIqp13RnSonDhh7qfg1TftRUdXz%252BQ2fqNXODu%252BZ8dTXgFC%252FxTdw%253D%26G%3D0%26R%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cdc.gov%252Fcoronavirus%252F2019-ncov%252Fprevent-getting-sick%252Fcloth-face-cover-faq.html%253FdeliveryName%253DUSCDC_2067-DM25135%26I%3D20200408195123.000000157630%2540mail6-43-usnbn1%26X%3DMHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVlOGUyYjM4Zjg5YmE5NGRkZjU1YzEzYjs%253D%26S%3D5ENhXyivKqZeH0QMoKb1P_nwS5795zYW0tw2JhqP_iA&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086202017&amp;sdata=2WeH2NtGHBtTqSWmkAEJ961tFZ%2FJtfuoczxLAUqTHW4%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html?deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM25135</a>.

Cloth face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. Public health officials continue to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social&nbsp;distancing is crucial to slowing the spread of the virus.

Here's where to find tools and resources for individuals and families, schools, communities, businesses, healthcare facilities, and first&nbsp;responders on the DHHS website -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDYsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvY29yb25hdmlydXMifQ.UnAVacHpVVNVCYJAl7U0wTQZ7giwc6Uyk45phaUYHlU%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086202017&amp;sdata=aJElHJcshNJyQEGNkQ0QUH1SbQJUNb%2FOVA7GBZu5Psc%3D&amp;reserved=0">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>&nbsp;and CDC's website –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDcsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2NvdmlkMTkifQ.9vogLeCnkTJzjzabOPflzUuZSEMwkUmxEq18_uCYxlM%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086212014&amp;sdata=qw3AdaJiQ3iYVbncEHMvFzZQM%2BOWUyCcq7V7X8Pjq%2Fw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

DHHS opened a statewide COVID-19 information line to help answer general questions and share the latest information and resources with Nebraskans&nbsp;to help keep them informed. The number is&nbsp;<a href="tel:+14025526645">(402) 552-6645</a>; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CT, 7 days a week.

DHHS will continue to update Nebraskans through the DHHS website and on Facebook and Twitter as we have new information. The CDC's website&nbsp;is also a good resource for COVID-19 information -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDgsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2NvdmlkMTkifQ.A6n6ip1yunHwplqf_OP7DkldsuFT6J5RbGw9NsuRPEo%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086212014&amp;sdata=PM2VW94UWeM0Ys5HyBzVUmmJYgSLFNVRSJf1s12EWeQ%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

Lincoln –&nbsp;One new death related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was reported to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Wednesday, bringing&nbsp;the state’s total death toll to 15.Douglas County announced its sixth death, a woman in her 60s with underlying health conditions –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDAsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5kb3VnbGFzY291bnR5aGVhbHRoLmNvbS9sYXRlc3QtbmV3cyJ9.jTefW3_if8NK28Za29KjDLh1wC_z8ilDTfzsq0fbIqo%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086162042&amp;sdata=CdVexAmtlOWt6gKjhF7L6j51liDZbsiq4Qt6sXwivEI%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.douglascountyhealth.com/latest-news</a>.Burt County reported its first COVID-19 case, a woman in her 70s with travel history –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5mYWNlYm9vay5jb20vZWx2cGhkL3Bob3Rvcy9hLjYzNjI3OTQ4OTc4NzAwMy8yOTQxMjgwMDU1OTUzNTkwLz90eXBlPTMmdGhlYXRlciJ9.Fg1WQ93NhL8qNuBJIipVyC8ucFRh8mrcnUwApd9dOY4%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086172041&amp;sdata=jL4s4sDaayDribGlkyhedX8MCuz1Z2Bv6d7YtVekXUQ%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.facebook.com/elvphd/photos/a.636279489787003/2941280055953590/?type=3&amp;theater</a>.Polk County also reported its first COVID-19 case, a woman in her 40s who is self-isolating at home. Her case is under investigation –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDIsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5mYWNlYm9vay5jb20vUG9say1Db3VudHktSGVhbHRoLURlcGFydG1lbnQtMTM4NjY5MDIyODI2ODk2LyJ9.-2tP-AWgyB6EhKMUZZ946DomerZb1R9EcwTWPFaMMJo%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086182030&amp;sdata=wWtIn1p0I9WOSAl2WxNk9Pb%2FC%2FhQJ7Z1p1lCWo2ZSbA%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.facebook.com/Polk-County-Health-Department-138669022826896/</a>.Tonight's state case total, as of 6:00 pm Central Daylight Time, is 577. DHHS launched a new data dashboard that provides daily updates to&nbsp;the state's COVID-19 case totals. You can find it at&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDMsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvY29yb25hdmlydXMifQ.OilxfMROmx6eDo3PHfBEe-leenWp28-jXisp8Y8SZuI%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086182030&amp;sdata=36sx5Oo%2BPjeWf5r3s%2BeHCQA1nlvTn1olxvy2nlng%2Fig%3D&amp;reserved=0">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>.All 93 Nebraska counties are now covered by state Directed Health Measures (DHMs) until May 11 –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDQsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvY29yb25hdmlydXMifQ.7eClKWZMygNNMGFKyr77hOvmDqhFZW_VWKRl_fRA2kg%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086192022&amp;sdata=JiwyR9mY2Ir%2B2Hjo2SdYhIF5kvnpGlkBCkBv7i0fNVs%3D&amp;reserved=0">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>. It's critical that Nebraskans follow these enforceable state Directed Health Measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in the state. These measures help protect each other and those who&nbsp;are more vulnerable to severe illness and death, and help hospitals and clinics from being overwhelmed so they can continue to provide care to families, friends and neighbors who need it.In addition to the state-issued DHM, some Local Health Departments have issued additional restrictions -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDUsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvUGFnZXMvQ29yb25hdmlydXMuYXNweCNTZWN0aW9uTGluazEifQ.x8sKp1EJ3sDos-pOsZTNzOxOD42XGEXQDle1A4qRw7I%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086192022&amp;sdata=hr3KLD2cx3CcxWXKck2SVmoghQrsIg8arTU8FjeJ5EI%3D&amp;reserved=0">http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx#SectionLink1</a>.DHHS supports Governor Ricketts in urging Nebraskans to follow the&nbsp;Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy.<ol>
 <li>Stay home.&nbsp;No non-essential&nbsp;errands and no social gatherings. Respect the ten-person limits.</li><li>Socially distance your work.&nbsp;Work from home or use the six-foot rule as much as possible in the workplace.</li><li>Shop alone. Do this only&nbsp;once a week and do not take your family with you.</li><li>Help kids social distance.&nbsp;Play at home, no group sports and no playgrounds.</li><li>Help seniors stay at home.&nbsp;This can be done by shopping for them. Do not visit long-term facilities.</li><li>Exercise daily. Do your&nbsp;best to stay as healthy and safe as you can.</li>
 </ol>Recent studies show that a significant portion of people with COVID-19 lack symptoms and those that eventually develop symptoms can pass&nbsp;the virus to others before showing symptoms, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC now recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (grocery&nbsp;stores, pharmacies, etc.) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Ficm-tracking.meltwater.com%2Flink.php%3FDynEngagement%3Dtrue%26H%3D5eXH0qSKdBRphS6WO4YlQwwSTi8wtQOqejFjZKiddbCzZ5Bbl4XDYcjuo3kW3irLZnZlGIrH%252FNW2CXDfRsy0d334bIqp13RnSonDhh7qfg1TftRUdXz%252BQ2fqNXODu%252BZ8dTXgFC%252FxTdw%253D%26G%3D0%26R%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.cdc.gov%252Fcoronavirus%252F2019-ncov%252Fprevent-getting-sick%252Fcloth-face-cover-faq.html%253FdeliveryName%253DUSCDC_2067-DM25135%26I%3D20200408195123.000000157630%2540mail6-43-usnbn1%26X%3DMHwxMDQ2NzU4OjVlOGUyYjM4Zjg5YmE5NGRkZjU1YzEzYjs%253D%26S%3D5ENhXyivKqZeH0QMoKb1P_nwS5795zYW0tw2JhqP_iA&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086202017&amp;sdata=2WeH2NtGHBtTqSWmkAEJ961tFZ%2FJtfuoczxLAUqTHW4%3D&amp;reserved=0">https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover-faq.html?deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM25135</a>.Cloth face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. Public health officials continue to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social&nbsp;distancing is crucial to slowing the spread of the virus.Here's where to find tools and resources for individuals and families, schools, communities, businesses, healthcare facilities, and first&nbsp;responders on the DHHS website -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDYsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwOi8vZGhocy5uZS5nb3YvY29yb25hdmlydXMifQ.UnAVacHpVVNVCYJAl7U0wTQZ7giwc6Uyk45phaUYHlU%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086202017&amp;sdata=aJElHJcshNJyQEGNkQ0QUH1SbQJUNb%2FOVA7GBZu5Psc%3D&amp;reserved=0">http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus</a>&nbsp;and CDC's website –&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDcsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2NvdmlkMTkifQ.9vogLeCnkTJzjzabOPflzUuZSEMwkUmxEq18_uCYxlM%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086212014&amp;sdata=qw3AdaJiQ3iYVbncEHMvFzZQM%2BOWUyCcq7V7X8Pjq%2Fw%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.DHHS opened a statewide COVID-19 information line to help answer general questions and share the latest information and resources with Nebraskans&nbsp;to help keep them informed. The number is&nbsp;<a href="tel:+14025526645">(402) 552-6645</a>; hours of operation are 8 a.m.-8 p.m. CT, 7 days a week.DHHS will continue to update Nebraskans through the DHHS website and on Facebook and Twitter as we have new information. The CDC's website&nbsp;is also a good resource for COVID-19 information -&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flnks.gd%2Fl%2FeyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDgsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsImJ1bGxldGluX2lkIjoiMjAyMDA0MTAuMTk5OTIzMTEiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5jZGMuZ292L2NvdmlkMTkifQ.A6n6ip1yunHwplqf_OP7DkldsuFT6J5RbGw9NsuRPEo%2Fbr%2F77258899405-l&amp;data=02%7C01%7Ctaylor.gage%40nebraska.gov%7Caeefda627d6a4bdd15e908d7dcf4fcdf%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220817086212014&amp;sdata=PM2VW94UWeM0Ys5HyBzVUmmJYgSLFNVRSJf1s12EWeQ%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank">https://www.cdc.gov/covid19&nbsp;</a>.

Statewide total for COVID-19 deaths reaches 15

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has ordered the closure of all salons, tattoo parlors and strip clubs and announced the cancellation of organized group sports until May 31, expanding an order that was already in place in the state’s biggest cities. 

Ricketts says the executive order was intended to bring consistency to a patchwork of mandates from local public health departments.

 Salons in Omaha, Lincoln and many surrounding communities have been closed since late last month, but some of those businesses had been allowed to remain open in other parts of the state.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has ordered the closure of all salons, tattoo parlors and strip clubs and announced the cancellation of organized group sports until May 31, expanding an order that was already in place in the state’s biggest cities. Ricketts says the executive order was intended to bring consistency to a patchwork of mandates from local public health departments. Salons in Omaha, Lincoln and many surrounding communities have been closed since late last month, but some of those businesses had been allowed to remain open in other parts of the state.

Gov. Ricketts expands some virus restrictions statewide

&nbsp; By&nbsp;<a href="https://news.unl.edu/written-by/university-communication/">University Communication</a>

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln community has recorded its first laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case.

While the risk of exposure is low, the campus community is being notified out of an abundance of caution.

Announced by Lincoln-Lancaster County public health officials on April 9, the case involves a Selleck Hall dining services employee who was last in contact with students on March 30. In addition, as the vast majority of students have left campus for remote instruction, Selleck Hall has not been in use since March 30.

The university is working with local public health officials to notify individuals who may have come into contact with the employee. The individual is currently self-isolating at home. The cause of the case has been classified as community spread.

The health and safety of students, faculty, staff and the broader Lincoln community are of the utmost importance to university leaders. Individuals are urged to be familiar with 2019 novel coronavirus information and updates outlined by federal, state and local public health officials.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anyone who feels sick should seek medical advice by first calling ahead to your doctor or an emergency room. Medical professionals are in the best position to decide if further action is needed.

Students who remain on campus or in the Lincoln area can contact the University Health Center for evaluation if they are experiencing symptoms or have health-related concerns. University faculty and staff can also contact the health center for acute care needs.

Learn more about the university’s response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

&nbsp; By&nbsp;<a href="https://news.unl.edu/written-by/university-communication/">University Communication</a>The University of Nebraska–Lincoln community has recorded its first laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 case.While the risk of exposure is low, the campus community is being notified out of an abundance of caution.Announced by Lincoln-Lancaster County public health officials on April 9, the case involves a Selleck Hall dining services employee who was last in contact with students on March 30. In addition, as the vast majority of students have left campus for remote instruction, Selleck Hall has not been in use since March 30.The university is working with local public health officials to notify individuals who may have come into contact with the employee. The individual is currently self-isolating at home. The cause of the case has been classified as community spread.The health and safety of students, faculty, staff and the broader Lincoln community are of the utmost importance to university leaders. Individuals are urged to be familiar with 2019 novel coronavirus information and updates outlined by federal, state and local public health officials.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anyone who feels sick should seek medical advice by first calling ahead to your doctor or an emergency room. Medical professionals are in the best position to decide if further action is needed.Students who remain on campus or in the Lincoln area can contact the University Health Center for evaluation if they are experiencing symptoms or have health-related concerns. University faculty and staff can also contact the health center for acute care needs.Learn more about the university’s response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Univ. of Nebraska-Lincoln dining service employee tests positive for COVID-19

WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, says don’t assume the coronavirus will fade during warm weather.

Fauci told ABC’s “Good Morning America” there’s precedent with other infections like influenza that “when the virus gets warmer that the virus goes down in its ability to replicate, to spread.”

But Fauci added “having said that, one should not assume that we are going to be rescued by a change in the weather. You must assume that the virus will continue to do its thing. If we get some help from the weather, so be it, fine. But I don’t think we need to assume that.”

He was asked about the New York Times story that research indicates the coronavirus that began circulating in New York in mid-February came mainly from Europe, not Asia.

“I think that’s probably correct,” Fauci said. He notes that “Europe became the epicenter pretty quickly after China really exploded with their cases.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586435843632.png" alt="Dr. Anthony Fauci answers questions during Wednesday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing -photo courtesy White House" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Anthony Fauci answers questions during Wednesday's Coronavirus Task Force briefing -photo courtesy White House</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious disease expert, says don’t assume the coronavirus will fade during warm weather.Fauci told ABC’s “Good Morning America” there’s precedent with other infections like influenza that “when the virus gets warmer that the virus goes down in its ability to replicate, to spread.”But Fauci added “having said that, one should not assume that we are going to be rescued by a change in the weather. You must assume that the virus will continue to do its thing. If we get some help from the weather, so be it, fine. But I don’t think we need to assume that.”He was asked about the New York Times story that research indicates the coronavirus that began circulating in New York in mid-February came mainly from Europe, not Asia.“I think that’s probably correct,” Fauci said. He notes that “Europe became the epicenter pretty quickly after China really exploded with their cases.”___

Dr. Fauci: Don’t assume virus fades in warm weather

By Patricia Jones, Task Force on Poverty

COVID-19. Social distancing. Events cancelled. Schools closed. Government buildings closed. Offices closed. Churches closed. Retail stores closed.&nbsp;Restaurants closed. Stay home.

In February, 2020, the unemployment rate in the United States was 3.5%. In Box Butte County it was 3.0%. Due to the coronavirus this rate may&nbsp;go to 30%. 10,000,000 Americans were laid off the last two weeks of March due to COVID-19. Nebraska anticipates losing 90,000 jobs by summer.

What if you are one of the people who lost your job in the last few weeks? You file for Unemployment Compensation. Both the State of Nebraska&nbsp;and the federal government have expanded the amounts you can receive, and it is easier than ever to claim unemployment.

<a href="http://neworks.nebraska.gov/">NEWorks.nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;is where you apply for unemployment insurance benefits in Nebraska. Our state’s benefits replace 50% of your average weekly wage, up to $440. You can collect unemployment compensation for 26 weeks (six months). You get either a debit card or a direct deposit&nbsp;to your bank account. If you don’t have a computer, ask your employer to use theirs to get you signed up. If you have a computer but no Internet access, park by the library and use their free WIFI. As long as you are unemployed, you will need to file a weekly&nbsp;claim.

From March 22 through May 2, the Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL) is waiving the requirement to search for work to be eligible for benefits.&nbsp;Additionally, NDOL Commissioner John H. Albin says NDOL is waiving the requirement that applicants serve an unpaid waiting week once their eligibility has been determined, which still may take up to 21 days.

The federal government has passed some additions to our state’s plan. The Federal Pandemic Compensation Program will pay you an additional $600&nbsp;per week for up to four months if your layoff was due to COVID-19. If the coronavirus pandemic continues beyond six months, the federal government will extend your unemployment compensation for another 13 weeks.&nbsp;

Nebraska has a work-share program, where employers may put workers on part-time schedules with partial unemployment benefits. It helps to prevent&nbsp;layoffs by allowing employers to reduce their workers’ hours by 10-60%, who are then eligible to receive an unemployment benefit based on their reduction in hours. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance also allows self employed and independent contractors to collect&nbsp;unemployment compensation, even though they may not have been eligible for checks in the past.

One other temporary change in unemployment policies is that the state has waived charges incurred by employers who laid off workers due to COVID-19.&nbsp;Remember that unemployment is an insurance policy, and benefits are paid using premiums collected from employers; when claims are filed, their rates would normally go up.&nbsp;

What about your health insurance? Many employers provide full or partial payment as a company benefit. If you are laid off, be sure to find out&nbsp;how your coverage can continue. If you are asked to have premiums taken from your bank account, do it! This is not the time to let your insurance lapse.

One other benefit approved by Congress in March is that we will be receiving stimulus checks from the government. Payments up to $1,200 per person&nbsp;will be made to US residents who earn under $75,000. The amount decreases by $5 per every $100 earned after that, zeroing out at $99,000. For couples the earnings and payment amounts are doubled.&nbsp;Payments increase&nbsp;an additional $500 per child through age 17 (with a Social Security number). The IRS will use information for&nbsp;earnings and bank deposits provided on your 2019 or 2018 tax return.

Many of our local businesses are offering special services during this time of isolation. You can call offices for information. Most importantly,&nbsp;you can get delivery of groceries, meals, or medication, whether it is to your home or curbside. When this is all over, be sure to support those who supported you.

By Patricia Jones, Task Force on PovertyCOVID-19. Social distancing. Events cancelled. Schools closed. Government buildings closed. Offices closed. Churches closed. Retail stores closed.&nbsp;Restaurants closed. Stay home.In February, 2020, the unemployment rate in the United States was 3.5%. In Box Butte County it was 3.0%. Due to the coronavirus this rate may&nbsp;go to 30%. 10,000,000 Americans were laid off the last two weeks of March due to COVID-19. Nebraska anticipates losing 90,000 jobs by summer.What if you are one of the people who lost your job in the last few weeks? You file for Unemployment Compensation. Both the State of Nebraska&nbsp;and the federal government have expanded the amounts you can receive, and it is easier than ever to claim unemployment.<a href="http://neworks.nebraska.gov/">NEWorks.nebraska.gov</a>&nbsp;is where you apply for unemployment insurance benefits in Nebraska. Our state’s benefits replace 50% of your average weekly wage, up to $440. You can collect unemployment compensation for 26 weeks (six months). You get either a debit card or a direct deposit&nbsp;to your bank account. If you don’t have a computer, ask your employer to use theirs to get you signed up. If you have a computer but no Internet access, park by the library and use their free WIFI. As long as you are unemployed, you will need to file a weekly&nbsp;claim.From March 22 through May 2, the Nebraska Department of Labor (NDOL) is waiving the requirement to search for work to be eligible for benefits.&nbsp;Additionally, NDOL Commissioner John H. Albin says NDOL is waiving the requirement that applicants serve an unpaid waiting week once their eligibility has been determined, which still may take up to 21 days.The federal government has passed some additions to our state’s plan. The Federal Pandemic Compensation Program will pay you an additional $600&nbsp;per week for up to four months if your layoff was due to COVID-19. If the coronavirus pandemic continues beyond six months, the federal government will extend your unemployment compensation for another 13 weeks.&nbsp;Nebraska has a work-share program, where employers may put workers on part-time schedules with partial unemployment benefits. It helps to prevent&nbsp;layoffs by allowing employers to reduce their workers’ hours by 10-60%, who are then eligible to receive an unemployment benefit based on their reduction in hours. Pandemic Unemployment Assistance also allows self employed and independent contractors to collect&nbsp;unemployment compensation, even though they may not have been eligible for checks in the past.One other temporary change in unemployment policies is that the state has waived charges incurred by employers who laid off workers due to COVID-19.&nbsp;Remember that unemployment is an insurance policy, and benefits are paid using premiums collected from employers; when claims are filed, their rates would normally go up.&nbsp;What about your health insurance? Many employers provide full or partial payment as a company benefit. If you are laid off, be sure to find out&nbsp;how your coverage can continue. If you are asked to have premiums taken from your bank account, do it! This is not the time to let your insurance lapse.One other benefit approved by Congress in March is that we will be receiving stimulus checks from the government. Payments up to $1,200 per person&nbsp;will be made to US residents who earn under $75,000. The amount decreases by $5 per every $100 earned after that, zeroing out at $99,000. For couples the earnings and payment amounts are doubled.&nbsp;Payments increase&nbsp;an additional $500 per child through age 17 (with a Social Security number). The IRS will use information for&nbsp;earnings and bank deposits provided on your 2019 or 2018 tax return.Many of our local businesses are offering special services during this time of isolation. You can call offices for information. Most importantly,&nbsp;you can get delivery of groceries, meals, or medication, whether it is to your home or curbside. When this is all over, be sure to support those who supported you.

Poverty in Our Area: Unemployment compensation, COVID-19

LINCOLN –&nbsp;Today, Governor Pete Ricketts proclaimed April 10-30, 2020 as “21 Days to Stay Home and Stay Healthy in Nebraska” during his daily press briefing on the State’s response to the ongoing pandemic.&nbsp;Infectious disease experts project that the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak will be at or near its peak in Nebraska by the end of April. For the next three weeks, the Governor is urging Nebraskans to avoid non-essential errands and to limit social gatherings&nbsp;in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus.&nbsp;

The Governor also announced a new statewide Directed Health Measure (DHM) to guard against the spread of COVID-19. It orders certain businesses where six feet of social distance&nbsp;cannot be maintained to close through April 30th. The DHM also prohibits organized group sports through May 31st. &nbsp;

Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird joined Gov. Ricketts to reinforce the importance of staying home over the next few weeks. Jason Jackson, Chief Human Resources Officer for&nbsp;the State of Nebraska, also spoke at today’s press conference. He reviewed the steps taken by the State to protect the health of its teammates and the public, while also ensuring the continuity of essential services to Nebraskans.

Gov. Ricketts: “21 Days” Proclamation

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We are entering a new phase in our fight against the virus.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Based on the modeling we’ve seen, it is likely that Nebraska hits our peak with the virus in the next few weeks.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Today, I am designating the next three weeks as “21 Days to Stay Home and Stay Healthy.”

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;During this time, it is the civic duty of each and every Nebraskan to help slow the spread of the virus.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For the next three weeks, we are asking all Nebraskans to redouble their efforts to practice good hygiene and social distancing.

Read the proclamation by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Fmkgl9ho03rjhnsc%2F2020%252021%2520Days%2520to%2520Stay%2520Home%2520and%2520Stay%2520Health%2520.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7CJustin.Pinkerman%40nebraska.gov%7C66727006d76f421a9f0508d7dcd048e8%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220659438195626&amp;sdata=p2qdqOl7TCe62IPia%2BU2O4O7uGEm10niDEMKMLpuBaQ%3D&amp;reserved=0">clicking here</a>.

Gov. Ricketts: Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stay home. No non-essential errands and no social gatherings. Respect the ten-person limit.

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Socially distance your work. Work from home or use the six-foot rule as much as possible in the workplace.

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shop alone and only shop once a week. Do not take family with you.

4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Help kids follow social distancing. Play at home. No group sports. And no playgrounds.

5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Help seniors stay at home by shopping for them. Do not visit long-term care facilities.

6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercise daily at home or with an appropriately socially-distanced activity.

o&nbsp;&nbsp;Nebraskans have been doing a great job of complying with our social distancing directives.

o&nbsp;&nbsp;These six rules will unite Nebraskans in our shared goal of slowing the spread of the virus as we enter its peak period.

A graphic with the Governor’s Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy is available by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Flwfzshvv7vu9cbu%2FStay%2520Healthy%2520Rules.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7CJustin.Pinkerman%40nebraska.gov%7C66727006d76f421a9f0508d7dcd048e8%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220659438205576&amp;sdata=k%2B4yfywHI%2Bm26OQ3kks0yHEv2Wvjd%2FlxPN4JZ1DHPwc%3D&amp;reserved=0">clicking here</a>. More detailed guidelines on how to keep Nebraska healthy are available by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Fz3vqojvqsnvyefl%2FStay%2520Healthy%2520Guidelines.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7CJustin.Pinkerman%40nebraska.gov%7C66727006d76f421a9f0508d7dcd048e8%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220659438205576&amp;sdata=0pAp4S0R%2BowKzEiq%2FO%2FjPO9nICVm1VSRl5VAQyxi1HM%3D&amp;reserved=0">clicking here</a>.

Gov. Ricketts: New Directed Health Measure

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Today, I am also announcing a new Directed Health Measure that orders additional statewide business closures.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The aim of the DHM is to bring greater consistency across the state.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For example, several local jurisdictions have already closed salons. The new DHM will close them statewide.&nbsp;

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We are also closing the sports loophole. Some people have tried to continue group sports, and this new DHM prohibits playing them.

Full text of the Directed Health Measure is available by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/xh4pyr4w56g3tdh/DHM%204.9.2020.pdf?dl=0">clicking here</a>.

Mayor Gaylor Baird: Stay Home, Stay Healthy

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I want to emphasize the Governor’s message to stay home so that we can stifle the spread of the virus.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The actions we take over the next 21 days will be critical to our success as a city and as a state.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By calling on Nebraskans to stay home, we’re following the best guidance of public health officials and medical experts in Nebraska.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department has set up a coronavirus hotline at&nbsp;<a href="tel:+14024418006">402-441-8006.</a>&nbsp;Since March 23rd, the health department has answered nearly 1,000 calls.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The simple actions each of us take really do make a difference

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;First responders and health care workers show their heroism by reporting to work each day. As Nebraskans, the rest of us can display heroism by staying home for the next 21 days.

Jason Jackson: Staying Healthy while Serving Nebraskans

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Under Gov. Ricketts’ leadership, we directed all of our agencies to consider work-from-home options starting in the first week of March.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At that time, the Governor also directed all of our agencies to apply their continuity plans.

o&nbsp;&nbsp;These plans have been in development since the beginning of Gov. Ricketts’ administration.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;During the pandemic, it’s more important than ever for the State to provide essential services to Nebraskans.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The State is committed to provide these essential services, while also taking precautions to protect our teammates and the public.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Where possible, we’re allowing teammates to telework, work from home, and engage in other distributed work arrangements.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Roughly 30% of State teammates have adopted alternative work styles.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That’s a remarkable operational achievement for state government while maintaining the same level of service to the public.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We’re investing in technology to enhance our capabilities to operate under social distancing guidelines.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We received 250 laptops just this week from the Office of the CIO, and we have another 750 laptops coming in next week.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We’ve repeatedly emphasized the importance of social distancing within the workplace.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Additionally, we’ve been very clear that sick teammates should stay home, as should teammates with sick household members.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We’re also providing extended leave benefits. This gives teammates the peace of mind of knowing that they have income security and can provide for their families even if they&nbsp;become ill.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We’ve increased the janitorial services and cleanliness of state facilities.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;These efforts are a reflection of years of work and leadership on the part of the Governor to maintain essential services in unforeseen circumstances like this pandemic.

Watch video of today’s press briefing by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/s2jn4vfue4bxvm9/Press%20Conf%204.09.2020.mp4?dl=0">clicking here</a>.

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 </figure>LINCOLN –&nbsp;Today, Governor Pete Ricketts proclaimed April 10-30, 2020 as “21 Days to Stay Home and Stay Healthy in Nebraska” during his daily press briefing on the State’s response to the ongoing pandemic.&nbsp;Infectious disease experts project that the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak will be at or near its peak in Nebraska by the end of April. For the next three weeks, the Governor is urging Nebraskans to avoid non-essential errands and to limit social gatherings&nbsp;in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus.&nbsp;The Governor also announced a new statewide Directed Health Measure (DHM) to guard against the spread of COVID-19. It orders certain businesses where six feet of social distance&nbsp;cannot be maintained to close through April 30th. The DHM also prohibits organized group sports through May 31st. &nbsp;Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird joined Gov. Ricketts to reinforce the importance of staying home over the next few weeks. Jason Jackson, Chief Human Resources Officer for&nbsp;the State of Nebraska, also spoke at today’s press conference. He reviewed the steps taken by the State to protect the health of its teammates and the public, while also ensuring the continuity of essential services to Nebraskans.Gov. Ricketts: “21 Days” Proclamation·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We are entering a new phase in our fight against the virus.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Based on the modeling we’ve seen, it is likely that Nebraska hits our peak with the virus in the next few weeks.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Today, I am designating the next three weeks as “21 Days to Stay Home and Stay Healthy.”·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;During this time, it is the civic duty of each and every Nebraskan to help slow the spread of the virus.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For the next three weeks, we are asking all Nebraskans to redouble their efforts to practice good hygiene and social distancing.Read the proclamation by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Fmkgl9ho03rjhnsc%2F2020%252021%2520Days%2520to%2520Stay%2520Home%2520and%2520Stay%2520Health%2520.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7CJustin.Pinkerman%40nebraska.gov%7C66727006d76f421a9f0508d7dcd048e8%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220659438195626&amp;sdata=p2qdqOl7TCe62IPia%2BU2O4O7uGEm10niDEMKMLpuBaQ%3D&amp;reserved=0">clicking here</a>.Gov. Ricketts: Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Stay home. No non-essential errands and no social gatherings. Respect the ten-person limit.2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Socially distance your work. Work from home or use the six-foot rule as much as possible in the workplace.3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shop alone and only shop once a week. Do not take family with you.4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Help kids follow social distancing. Play at home. No group sports. And no playgrounds.5.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Help seniors stay at home by shopping for them. Do not visit long-term care facilities.6.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Exercise daily at home or with an appropriately socially-distanced activity.o&nbsp;&nbsp;Nebraskans have been doing a great job of complying with our social distancing directives.o&nbsp;&nbsp;These six rules will unite Nebraskans in our shared goal of slowing the spread of the virus as we enter its peak period.A graphic with the Governor’s Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy is available by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Flwfzshvv7vu9cbu%2FStay%2520Healthy%2520Rules.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7CJustin.Pinkerman%40nebraska.gov%7C66727006d76f421a9f0508d7dcd048e8%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220659438205576&amp;sdata=k%2B4yfywHI%2Bm26OQ3kks0yHEv2Wvjd%2FlxPN4JZ1DHPwc%3D&amp;reserved=0">clicking here</a>. More detailed guidelines on how to keep Nebraska healthy are available by&nbsp;<a href="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2Fz3vqojvqsnvyefl%2FStay%2520Healthy%2520Guidelines.pdf%3Fdl%3D0&amp;data=02%7C01%7CJustin.Pinkerman%40nebraska.gov%7C66727006d76f421a9f0508d7dcd048e8%7C043207dfe6894bf6902001038f11f0b1%7C0%7C0%7C637220659438205576&amp;sdata=0pAp4S0R%2BowKzEiq%2FO%2FjPO9nICVm1VSRl5VAQyxi1HM%3D&amp;reserved=0">clicking here</a>.Gov. Ricketts: New Directed Health Measure·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Today, I am also announcing a new Directed Health Measure that orders additional statewide business closures.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The aim of the DHM is to bring greater consistency across the state.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For example, several local jurisdictions have already closed salons. The new DHM will close them statewide.&nbsp;·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We are also closing the sports loophole. Some people have tried to continue group sports, and this new DHM prohibits playing them.Full text of the Directed Health Measure is available by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/xh4pyr4w56g3tdh/DHM%204.9.2020.pdf?dl=0">clicking here</a>.Mayor Gaylor Baird: Stay Home, Stay Healthy·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I want to emphasize the Governor’s message to stay home so that we can stifle the spread of the virus.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The actions we take over the next 21 days will be critical to our success as a city and as a state.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;By calling on Nebraskans to stay home, we’re following the best guidance of public health officials and medical experts in Nebraska.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department has set up a coronavirus hotline at&nbsp;<a href="tel:+14024418006">402-441-8006.</a>&nbsp;Since March 23rd, the health department has answered nearly 1,000 calls.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The simple actions each of us take really do make a difference·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;First responders and health care workers show their heroism by reporting to work each day. As Nebraskans, the rest of us can display heroism by staying home for the next 21 days.Jason Jackson: Staying Healthy while Serving Nebraskans·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Under Gov. Ricketts’ leadership, we directed all of our agencies to consider work-from-home options starting in the first week of March.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At that time, the Governor also directed all of our agencies to apply their continuity plans.o&nbsp;&nbsp;These plans have been in development since the beginning of Gov. Ricketts’ administration.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;During the pandemic, it’s more important than ever for the State to provide essential services to Nebraskans.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The State is committed to provide these essential services, while also taking precautions to protect our teammates and the public.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Where possible, we’re allowing teammates to telework, work from home, and engage in other distributed work arrangements.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Roughly 30% of State teammates have adopted alternative work styles.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That’s a remarkable operational achievement for state government while maintaining the same level of service to the public.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We’re investing in technology to enhance our capabilities to operate under social distancing guidelines.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We received 250 laptops just this week from the Office of the CIO, and we have another 750 laptops coming in next week.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We’ve repeatedly emphasized the importance of social distancing within the workplace.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Additionally, we’ve been very clear that sick teammates should stay home, as should teammates with sick household members.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We’re also providing extended leave benefits. This gives teammates the peace of mind of knowing that they have income security and can provide for their families even if they&nbsp;become ill.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;We’ve increased the janitorial services and cleanliness of state facilities.·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;These efforts are a reflection of years of work and leadership on the part of the Governor to maintain essential services in unforeseen circumstances like this pandemic.Watch video of today’s press briefing by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/s2jn4vfue4bxvm9/Press%20Conf%204.09.2020.mp4?dl=0">clicking here</a>.

Ricketts proclaims “21 Days to Stay Home and Stay Healthy”, unveils 6 rules to keep NE healthy

Panhandle Trails Transit: COVID-19 passenger best practices

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — State health officials say a third staff member and three residents at Nebraska’s Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Kearney have tested positive for the new coronavirus. 

Those were the results released late Wednesday of facility-wide testing after two staff members initially tested positive for COVID-19.

KEARNEY, Neb. (AP) — State health officials say a third staff member and three residents at Nebraska’s Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Kearney have tested positive for the new coronavirus. Those were the results released late Wednesday of facility-wide testing after two staff members initially tested positive for COVID-19. Officials say the infected staffer is self-isolating and monitoring symptoms at home. The three boys are asymptomatic and are self-isolating in individual rooms at the center, officials said. The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services also says all “necessary areas” in the facility have been sanitized and that all staff and youth continue to be monitored for symptoms.

Coronavirus Update