Aug 13, 2021

Nebraska lawmakers prod governor to reinstate COVID-19 site

Posted Aug 13, 2021 1:15 PM

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Eleven Nebraska lawmakers are prodding Gov. Pete Ricketts to restart the state's online COVID-19-tracking dashboard, saying local officials are being left in the dark on important infection statistics.

The group sent a letter to Ricketts this week calling for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services to reinstate the dashboard and that all 93 counties in the state be required to report outbreak and hospital capacity data to the state.

State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh of Omaha prompted the request.

The letter noted that the department does release a weekly report on cases and hospitalizations, but lacks crucial details, "including county-by-county infection rates, COVID-19-related deaths, daily available hospital beds, respirators and overall staffed beds.”