Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert, Douglas County Health Director Dr. Adi Pour, and other leaders gave an update on the local COVID-19 response Friday afternoon.
Pour said as of Friday there are 24 new cases for a total of 222 cases in the county, adding that an increase in the number of cases over the next three weeks will be seen. "Each and every one of us has something to do with it," Pour said regarding preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
Hospital-wise, Pour says there is some good news to share -- there are 630 open beds in the county's medical facilities resulting in about 50 percent occupancy. There 43 COVID-19 patients are hospitalized and of the over 400 ventilators in the county, only about 100 are in use. Pour says of those being used, only 11 are being used for coronavirus patients. A total of more than 3,000 tests have been done, with a positive case rate of about seven percent.
Douglas County Commissioner Chris Rodgers highlighted the impact the pandemic is having on minority communities in the area. "Communities of color are already part of the vulnerable population through lack of health insurance and other reasons. Those concerns are being monitored, we've been working with community health centers and will continue to."
Rodgers said after the pandemic, Medicaid expansion must be quickened because of the lack of a vaccine for the virus.
Stothert said the city's decision to close all public parks Wednesday has resulted in zero citations being issued by the Omaha Police Department so far. The Mayor said her office had received complaints that keeping golf courses open over parks was elitist, but Stothert says it's about regulation. "We made the decision to leave the trail system and golf courses open. Some people said that was elitist but that's not how we look at it. Golf courses can easily be regulated by us."
Douglas County Election Commissioner Brain Kruse said the May 12 primary is still scheduled but some changes have been made in polling places -- and urged voters to cast their ballots through the mail. "We have over 100,000 requests for mail-in ballots already."
Kruse says more poll workers are needed for the election, preferably younger and healthier ones. "Let your parents and grandparents sit this one out. Do your civic duty for democracy." The county needs about 1,400 people to staff polling places.
About 47,000 voters will have different polling places for this election since nursing homes and Omaha Housing Authority residential towers will not be used this time around. A number of large school buildings will still be used since classes have been canceled. Pour, when asked if there are concerns for people voting in person, said anything that can be done to stay home would be preferable.
Members of the city's police, fire and parks departments will also begin wearing masks and other protective equipment in public, Stothert said.