Nebraska COVID-19 update: 3 deaths, 89 new cases in Douglas County; Elkhorn nursing home retesting residents – WOWT

(WOWT) — Here is a summary of new cases and other COVID-19 stats reported Friday by health officials across Nebraska.

Douglas County reports 3 deaths, 89 new cases

Douglas County Health Department on Friday reported three additional deaths and 89 new COVID-19 cases.

DCHD said the three who died were all more than 85 years old.

The county has reported 27 COVID-19 deaths and 2,928 confirmed cases to date. The county’s positivity rate is “just under 11 percent,” according to Friday’s DCHD news release.

According to the DCHD release, 604 residents have recovered from COVID-19.

As of Thursday night, county hospitals had 415 beds available and were reporting 149 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. “An additional 46 people were hospitalized as COVID-19 persons of interest,” the release says.

The county has 42 COVID-19 patients on ventilators and has 244 other ventilators available.

Life Care Center reports 7th death, plans to retest

Life Care Center in Elkhorn reported its seventh COVID-19 death Friday and announced plans to retest those residents who previously tested negative.

“In consultation with both state and county health agencies, we will be retesting all residents who initially tested negative,” the release states.

According to a news release from the center, three more residents have tested positive, but it also states that five more residents are being treated for the virus at LCC and that seven fewer have tested negative.

“At this point, there is no plan to move all patients out of the facility,” the release states, noting residents who develop “acute symptoms” will be transferred to a hospital.

“Each resident and the resident’s family have the freedom to make individual decisions on the best course of action for their loved one,” the release states. “If a family chooses, they may take their loved one out of our facility and care for them in their own home or place them in a different facility.”

Ten residents remain hospitalized — the same number reported since Wednesday.

One more employee has tested positive for COVID-19, the release states, bringing the total number of positive cases among staff to 28, but the release states that 25 employees are out sick — the same number reported Thursday — while the recovery total for employees remains at two.

Lincoln reports 39 cases

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department announced 38 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Friday. The community’s total is now 1,005.

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