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Nebraska Joint Information Center Update

RELEASE DATE: Apr 09, 2020

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COVID-19 Case Updates

Nebraska As of April 9 at noon, the current case numbers for Nebraska are:

567 positive tests — 7,442 negative tests — 14 deaths

Nebraska numbers include negative results from NPHL and commercial labs. Both state and local health departments are testing and publicly reporting their cases. In the event of a discrepancy between DHHS cases and cases reported by local public health officials, data reported by the local health department should be considered the most up-to-date.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) data dashboard provides daily updates to the state’s COVID-19 case totals and is online at http://dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus

U.S. As of 4 p.m. April 8, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website reports 427,460 COVID-19 cases in the United States and 14,696 deaths (as of April 7 at 4 p.m.) Cases have been reported in all U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These statistics include both confirmed and presumptive positive cases of COVID-19. https://www.cdc.gov/covid19.

Globally As of April 9 at 3 a.m., World Health Organization Situation Report 1,436,198 confirmed cases and 85,522 deaths

State of Nebraska Updates

Gov. Pete Ricketts’ Office https://governor.nebraska.gov/

NEW At his 2 p.m. news conference today, Gov. Ricketts asked all Nebraskans to redouble their efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Nebraska. He want all Nebraskans to make that final push for the month of April. Nebraska is expected see its peak of COVID-19 cases at the end of April. With that in mind, Gov. Ricketts proclaimed April 10 to April 30 as:

21 Days to Stay Home and Stay Healthy

and he introduced

Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy

Stay home. No non-essential errands and no-social gatherings. Respect the 10-person limit.
Socially distance your work. Work from home or use the six-foot rule as much as possible in the workplace.
Shop alone and only shop once a week. Do not take family with you.
Help kids follow social distancing. Play at home. No group sports and no playgrounds.
Help seniors stay at home by shopping for them. Do not visit long-term care facilities.
Exercise daily at home or with an appropriately socially-distance activity.

The governor said this is not a shelter-in-place order. He said he is just asking Nebraskans to do the right thing to protect the vulnerable populations in the state.

NEW Gov. Ricketts has also issued updates to the statewide directed health measure that will close additional businesses such as hair salons, tattoo shops, massage therapy businesses and others. In addition, group sports prohibited are now prohibited until May 31. This will make the measures more consistent across the state, the governor said. The governor’s office will post more information on the DHM on the Governor’s Website.

NEW Law enforcement, other first responders and health care workers who need a place to stay to protect their family and patients from exposure to the virus should first contact their employer to see if they have made housing arrangement for staff. If they have not they can call 833-220-0018 to find out about available places to stay during their hours away from work. The Department of Health and Human Services staff will help arrange lodging.

NEW In his weekly column released today, Gov. Ricketts wrote:

“The next several weeks will be key to slowing the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Nebraska. The virus is expected to peak in Nebraska during the next month. We can expect more recorded cases as testing expands, and additional deaths as we approach this peak period.

As we wage war against the virus, we are asking Nebraskans to further limit social interactions. Everyone should work, go home, and shop once a week. We all need to stay home whenever possible, stay healthy, and stay connected.

Each one of us has to take personal responsibility for adhering to social distancing rules. Stay six feet away from other people. Do not gather in groups of more than ten people. By working together, we can flatten the curve and slow the spread of the virus.”

REMINDER Gov. Ricketts proclaimed Sunday as a Statewide Day of Prayer. He asked that Nebraskans pray for the people being impacted by COVID-19, for people who are ill, for nurses and doctors, police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and for people in nursing homes.

REMINDER Nebraska Gov. Ricketts will answer questions during a one-hour NET News town hall meeting about COVID-19 and our state’s response. This special episode of the discussion program "Speaking of Nebraska" will air Thursday at 8:30 p.m. CT on NET, NET Radio, and streaming online.

Last week's episode prompted hundreds of questions from Nebraskans. What questions do you have?

Call in during the program to ask your question:

800-676-5446
402-472-1212

Also people can ask their questions on a form in the below link: http://netnebraska.org/article/news/1213658/send-us-your-questions-covid-19-town-hall-gov-ricketts

Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Information | DHHS News Releases

NEW Directed Health Measures translated in Spanish and Vietnamese are now available for Douglas, Cass, Sarpy and Lancaster counties. http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx#SectionLink1

Nebraska COVID-19 Information Line: (402) 552-6645. Hours are: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST – every day.
State agencies are sharing information using the #NECOVID19 Hashtag
DHHS has produced COVID-19 announcements available in English and En Español
Review the Health Alert Network (HAN) for recent information and guidelines for health care providers.

REMINDER Nebraska DHHS issued a press release on staying mentally strong through the outbreak, which included phone numbers for the Nebraska Family Helpline (800-866-8660) and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255).

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency https://nema.nebraska.gov/news

NEW NEMA has several Twitter lists you can follow by visiting https://twitter.com/NEMAtweets/lists. Consider Subscribing to the Nebraska State Government List or to the Nebraska County and Regional Emergency Managers List.

A List is a curated group of Twitter accounts. You can create your own Lists or subscribe to Lists created by others. Viewing a List lets you view a stream of Tweets from only the accounts on the list.

REMINDER COVID-19 can affect persons of any age. Do your part to help slow the spread of COVID-19 by:

Frequently wash your hands
Frequently disinfect surfaces
Practice physical distancing (at least six feet from other people)
Stay home as much as possible.

REMINDER There is no essential staffing list maintained by the State of Nebraska for people who have jobs to perform. Individuals leaving their homes in order to perform an activity or function for their jobs DO NOT need to carry or present any letter, identification card or other paper proving that they are allowed to leave their home.

Attorney General’s Office Our COVID-19 Information page offers a quick info download to copy and pass along to neighbors, friends, or relatives that do not have internet access. If you are delivering meals or groceries to Seniors or shut-ins, consider making a copy of this information sheet and include it with your delivery.

Scammers and others may use COVID-19 as an opportunity to defraud Nebraskans. Learn more at ProtectTheGoodLife.Nebraska.Gov. If you suspect fraud, file a consumer complaint , send an email to ago.consumer@nebraska.gov or call us at (800) 727-6432.

Department of Administrative Services

A number of state agencies and private organizations have received inquiries from Nebraska manufacturers that have the capabilities to provide needed medical equipment for hospitals and medical providers. The Nebraska Department of Administrative Services (DAS) has partnered with the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NMEP) to help organize the manufacturers with these capabilities and connect them with the medical community.

For manufacturers please visit https://go.unl.edu/criticalmanufacturing to register your company and list the products your company is able to produce in short deadlines. For people in the medical community that want to access these companies and order needed supplies, please contact: Doug Carlson, Chief Procurement Officer for the State of Nebraska, doug.carlson@nebraska.gov , 402-471-0972

Department of Agriculture (NDA) nda.nebraska.gov

NDA has a COVID-19 webpage available to the public with information pertaining to agricultural producers. Go to nda.nebraska.gov/COVID-19 for more information.

Department of Banking and Finance

https://ndbf.nebraska.gov/about/covid-19-consumer-and-industry-guidance

NEW Department of Corrections corrections.nebraska.gov

NDCS has released a new video to its teammates about additional efforts to screen people entering all NDCS buildings and reminders about how to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Go to https://corrections.nebraska.gov/ndcs-coronavirus-health-update.

Department of Economic Development https://opportunity.nebraska.gov/nded-covid19/

DED is working to inform and assist businesses during Nebraska’s ongoing response to COVID-19. Information for businesses is available on the DED website. DED is committed to serving Nebraskans facing financial challenges during this time, and understands that local economic leaders will play an important role in creating regional solutions for businesses and their workforce. The department’s Field Services Team is working with business leaders in these regions to address ongoing COVID-19 challenges.

Department of Environment and Energy http://dee.ne.gov

NDEE has developed a COVID-19 information webpage that includes a message from the Director, links to state and federal resources, and NDEE-related issues. Webpage address is: http://deq.ne.gov/NDEQProg.nsf/onWeb/COVID

Department of Insurance

NEW The Department of Insurance has completed a comprehensive telehealth survey of the primary health insurers selling major medical in Nebraska. The questions and responses from Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Bright Health, Medica, and United Health Care can be found at https://doi.nebraska.gov/sites/doi.nebraska.gov/files/doc/TELEHEALTH%20QUESTIONS%20AND%20RESPONSES.pdf.

Department of Labor NEworks.nebraska.gov and dol.nebraska.gov

The American Job Center at Heartland Workforce Solutions in Omaha has temporarily relocated to Metropolitan Community College Fort Omaha Campus at 5300 N. 30th St., Building 7. The location change is anticipated to last through this week.

Customers needing assistance should use the Army Entrance off 30th street at the north end of campus or the 30th and Fort St entrance. The 32nd and Sorenson entrance is closed due to construction.

Since all job centers are adhering to social distancing guidelines, call 531-622-6173 before visiting the center. Customers with questions regarding their unemployment insurance claims should go to NEworks.nebraska.gov and view their Claim Summary or call 855-995-8863.

Call Heartland Workforce Solutions at 402-444-4700 for local workforce system programs and for employers seeking talent.

Department of Motor Vehicles DMV news releases

Department of Revenue

Revenue Ruling 99-20-1: All Nebraska Taxes, Signature Requirements You can now file your Petition for Redetermination (Protest) Electronically. This applies to Notices of Deficiency Determinations issued by the Nebraska Department of Revenue (DOR). This does not apply to protests or appeals filed with the Property Assessment Division.

The Nebraska Department of Revenue (DOR) has issued new guidance with specific instructions and information regarding signature requirements, which will assist taxpayers, especially in situations where the individuals responsible for signing tax returns are working from home to prevent the spread of COVID-19. For most forms and filings, for which there is no separate DOR taxpayer filing system, DOR will accept as a taxpayer signature, any mark, handwritten or digitally rendered that is applied with actual or apparent intention to authenticate the filing. More information is available at the Nebraska Department of Revenue website revenue.nebraska.gov; or contact the Department by email or phone here.

Lottery https://nelottery.com/homeapp/article/4220/display

Nebraska Lottery players with prizes up to $19,999 are encouraged to claim by mail. Instructions for claiming prizes by mail can be found at https://nelottery.com/homeapp/article/4220/display Regional Lottery Claim Centers in Grand Island, Norfolk, North Platte, and Scottsbluff are closed to the public, but Nebraska Lottery headquarters in Lincoln and the Omaha Claim Center are open. Call 402-471-6100 to confirm office hours before claiming a prize in person at these locations.

Department of Natural Resources To support National Flood Insurance Program policyholders amid the COVID-19 pandemic, FEMA is extending its 30-day grace period for policy renewals up to 120 days. This is effective for National Flood Insurance Program policies with an expiration date between February 13 – June 15, 2020.

For more information, visit the FEMA website https://nfipservices.floodsmart.gov/

FEMA also has some guidance on flood insurance claims during this time. It allows for the claims to be adjusted remotely without an adjustor visiting the property.

Our agency also continues to ensure that critical water related information remains available (see https://dnr.nebraska.gov/. It is being updated continuously, including real-time streamgaging information.

Nebraska Department of Transportation (NDOT)

NEW While Nebraskans work to flatten the curve by practicing social distancing, we know a strong infrastructure is critical to our state and the nation. NDOT remains committed to the citizens of Nebraska & our industry partners to continue to achieve our mission. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmgJpq-x66w

Department of Veterans’ Affairs

The Nebraska Department of Veterans' Affairs is hiring at all four veterans' homes, with openings for food service workers, housekeepers, RNs, LPNs, CNAs and more. If you are interested in becoming a CNA, we offer CNA classes that pay an hourly wage during training, pay for supplies and the certification exam, and come with a job in the facility upon completion of the training. Our teammates have great state benefits, job security, a friendly work environment, and a chance to serve those who served. Join our team of heroes helping heroes. Find openings and apply at statejobs.nebraska.gov. Applicants can expect to have a virtual interview rather than in-person

Game and Parks Commission http://outdoornebraska.gov/healthinfo/

In a proactive effort to prevent the potential for spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is prohibiting overnight camping at state parks, state recreation areas and wildlife management areas through Friday, May 8, with a possible extension. The closure of state park area lodging and cabins also continues through May 8.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services recommends travelers coming to Nebraska or back to Nebraska from out-of-state should limit public interactions, practice strict social distancing, self-monitor for symptoms and self-quarantine for 14 days.

State parks and recreation areas will remain open for day use so guests may enjoy activities such as fishing, hiking, biking and wildlife viewing while maintaining proper physical distancing of at least six feet. A limited number of restrooms, which will be disinfected regularly using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) protocols, will be available.

The closures are in keeping with national recommendations from the CDC; cities and states across the nation are taking similar proactive measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Game and Parks’ top priority is the health and well-being of the public and its staff.

Refunds will be given to campers who have prepaid fees. The camping closure will be reevaluated in the future to determine if an extension is necessary.

Those still enjoying outdoor recreation should follow CDC guidelines. They include staying home for people who are sick, have knowingly been exposed to a sick individual or are coming from any area of community spread of the virus. People also should avoid crowds, adhere to the 10-person-limit guideline, and bring supplies from home, including food and hygiene products, disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer.

For a list of all Game and Parks cancellations, postponements and closures, go to: OutdoorNebraska.org/healthinfo. For more detailed information about how coronavirus cancellations may affect customers, check the Frequently Asked Questions page at OutdoorNebraska.gov/covid19faqs or use the Contact Us form at OutdoorNebraska.gov/contact. Past news release are available online: http://magazine.outdoornebraska.gov/category/news/

Military Department

A total of 181 Nebraska National Guard Soldiers and Airmen are supporting COVID-19 response efforts in Nebraska.

A third team of Nebraska National Guard Soldiers and Airmen deployed to Kimball and began collecting samples at a mobile testing site Thursday.

The first and second teams supporting DHHS continue mobile testing in Grand Island and Kearney.

The Nebraska National Guard continues to provide logistical and planning support to our state and federal partners.

National Guard personnel supporting COVID-19 response are receiving health checks themselves at least twice daily.

The Nebraska National Guard will be updating this album with photos throughout the COVID-19 response: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nenationalguard/albums/72157713822070322

Nebraska Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (NCDHH)

NCDHH has the following VLOGs online relating to COVID-19:

COVID-19: Educational Resources & Communication Access NCDHH Executive Director John Wyvill discusses the importance of ensuring you and your child are prepared and receiving education information during transition to remote-learning.

COVID-19: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Organizations Stress Importance of Communication Access NCDHH Behavioral Health Coordinator Carly Weyers provides information on how to best keep informed with full communication access on announcements related to COVID-19.

COVID-19: NCDHH Offices and Social Distancing Information regarding preventative measures to keep you and the NCDHH team healthy featuring Behavioral Health Coordinator, Carly Weyers.

Nebraska State Patrol

NEW Nebraska State Troopers continue to patrol roads and investigate crime throughout the state. Troopers have seen a dramatic increase in excessive speeding violations over the last few weeks. Since March 19, when the first directed health measures were issued in Nebraska, troopers have cited 66 drivers for speeding at more than 100 miles per hour. Those 66 speeding violations have occurred in 18 different counties. For comparison, the period of March 19 through April 9, 2019 had only 36 such speeding violations of 100 miles per hour or more.

Several of those dangerous drivers have been reported to NSP by other motorists on the road. Any motorist who observes a dangerous or impaired driver can call *55 or 800-525-5555 to reach NSP dispatchers, who will share that information with troopers on the road. NSP’s patrol efforts remain at normal staffing levels throughout the state.

Nebraska State Treasurer’s Office

Due to the COVID-19 health crisis, the Unclaimed Property Division offices are closed to the public. Treasurer’s Office staff are available by phone at 402-471-8497 or 877-572-9688 and will continue to process claims mailed into the Lincoln office or filed online.

Office of the Chief Information Officer Website

Malicious cyber threat actors are capitalizing on the global attention surrounding COVID-19 to facilitate scams, distribute malware, and send phishing emails. We ask all Nebraskans to practice the following safe security habits online:

Exercise caution in handling any email with a COVID-19-related subject line, attachment or hyperlink, and be wary of social media pleas, texts or calls related to COVID-19. (Tips for Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST04-014)
Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails and be wary of email attachments. (Tips for Using Caution with Email Attachments: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/tips/ST04-010)
Use trusted sources—such as legitimate, government websites—for up-to-date, fact-based information about COVID-19.
Look at the email address, not just the sender. A genuine email from a legitimate organization would have the organization’s name in the domain name, indicating that it is coming from someone at the organization.
Do not reveal personal or financial information in an email, and do not respond to email solicitations for this information.
Verify a charity’s authenticity before making donations.
Look for obvious grammatical errors and be wary of any emails that have implied consequences for failure to comply with demands.

Communications platforms guidance for individuals and organizations

Due to COVID-19, an increasing number of individuals and organizations are turning to communications platforms—such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams— for online meetings. In turn, malicious cyber actors are hijacking online meetings that are not secured with passwords or that use unpatched software.

Tips for defending against online meeting hijacking

Do not make meetings public. Instead, require a meeting password or use the waiting room feature and control the admittance of guests.
Do not share a link to a meeting on an unrestricted publicly available social media post. Provide the link directly to specific people.
Manage screensharing options. Change screensharing to “Host Only.”
Ensure users are using the updated version of remote access/meeting applications.
Ensure telework policies address requirements for physical and information security.

For more information visit: https://www.us-cert.gov/ncas/alerts/aa20-099a

Public Service Commission

Please visit the PSC COVID-19 Information & Guidance page for the latest from the Nebraska Public Service Commission.

Secretary of State’s Office

The Nebraska Secretary of State’s office is actively recruiting registered voters interested in serving as poll workers. Poll workers are a paid position. To be a poll worker you must be 16 years old and if 18 years old or older, must be a registered voter in the county. Service clubs and other volunteer organizations are able to contract with a county election office, to be paid directly for their volunteer’s time, and can use the funds as they wish for their charitable projects. Poll worker pay will not reduce unemployment benefits for those who are unemployed. Virtual training will be available online or on television.

Every polling site will receive kits that includes:

At least two N95 masks per poll worker
25 pairs of gloves
540 ml bottle of hand sanitizer
A canister of disinfecting wipes
Individual black pens for each voter to keep
Social distancing standards will apply.

Contact your local county office by phone or email if you wish to serve as a poll worker. Make a difference in your community and become a proud poll worker. For county election contact information visit https://sos.nebraska.gov/elections/election-officials-contact-information.

State Partner Updates

American Red Cross

It continues to be safe to give blood. American Red Cross employees follow the highest standards of safety and infection control. The Red Cross has also implemented additional precautions to ensure the safety of its donors and staff during this outbreak. Healthy individuals are needed to donate now to help patients counting on lifesaving blood. The need for blood is constant, and volunteer donors are the only source of blood for those in need of transfusions.

Medical Reserve Corps and Community Emergency Response Teams

The Medical Reserve Corps is working with DHHS to help meet staff shortages in long-care facilities. The Eastern Nebraska MRC has been active in providing behavioral health services for Three Rivers, Douglas County and Sarpy County Health Departments; and is helping Three Rivers with contact tracing.

Hall County Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) has been called upon to help with Strategic National Stockpile Hubs. This is a role that they have been training and exercising for the past few years. The Hall County Teams have also been solicited for help assisting the county election commissioner, who is losing all regular poll workers due to concerns over COVID-19.

Central Nebraska MRC has also been involved with the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) from the Strategic National Stockpile throughout the Central Nebraska Area.

All MRCs and CERT teams remain at the ready throughout the state and are working with their local partners to better respond to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nebraska.

Natural Resources Districts (NRDs):

NRD employees doing field work (checking well levels, testing water and soil, tree planting, etc.) are considered essential workers. Landowners and the public should allow them to do their work uninterrupted.

Want to visit an NRD recreation area? Check for closures and limitations by visiting: www.nrdnet.org/recreation.

A majority of NRD physical offices are closed to the public; however, NRD employees continue to work and answer phones/email to provide service to the public.

University of Nebraska Medical Center | Nebraska Medicine has COVID-19 Resources on its website. Nebraska Medicine UNMC have led the world in treatment, training and quarantine methods for highly infectious diseases since caring for patients during the 2014 Ebola outbreak.

Federal Partner Updates

Center for Disease Control and Prevention The CDC provides guidance on daily life and coping during the COVID-19 outbreak.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)/Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Find answers about COVID-19 here: https://faq.coronavirus.gov/

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

According to FEMA Region VII which serves Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska, the federal government has provided approximately 1.2 million surgical masks, 1 million pairs of gloves, 500,000 N95 respirators, 20,000 surgical gowns, $245,000 face shields and $7,500 coveralls to Region VII states and tribes.

For general information related to the federal response efforts, visit www.fema.gov
For rumor control, go to www.fema.gov/Coronavirus-Rumor-Control
For information on How to Help by volunteering, selling or donating medical supplies to FEMA, visit: https://www.fema.gov/coronavirus/how-to-help

Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is carefully monitoring the spread of COVID-19. As with any type of emergency situation, BOP carefully assess how to best ensure the safety of staff, inmates and the public. Visit https://www.bop.gov/coronavirus/index.jsp for information from BOP.

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

The IRS has established a special section focused on steps to help taxpayers, businesses and others affected by the coronavirus. Find more info here: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus-tax-relief-and-economic-impact-payments

U.S. Department of Treasury has information for those who need financial relief at Your Money and Coronavirus: Resources for Financial Relief. In addition, check out the department’s information on Assistance for Small Businesses.

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

Get answers to VA related questions about the coronavirus: https://www.va.gov/coronavirus-veteran-frequently-asked-questions/

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has information on Food Safety and COVID_19

The FDA is working with U.S. Government partners to address the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Find more information here: https://www.fda.gov/emergency-preparedness-and-response/counterterrorism-and-emerging-threats/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)

SBA launched a $349 billion emergency loan program last week entitled Paycheck Protection Program, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES). Visit www.SBA.gov/Coronavirus for information about protecting your business, employees and customers. SBA issued guidance clarifying that all faith-based organizations impacted by COVID-19 are eligible to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, without restrictions based on their religious identity or activities, to the extent, they meet the eligibility criteria.

Other Resources

Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University has a COVID-19 map with case information from around the world. It can be found at https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html as part of the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center website. The site also includes News & Information, a Data Center, Covid-19 Basics and Videos & Live Events.

Mayo Clinic has information about COVID-19 and a COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool on its website.

World Health Organization (WHO) information on COVID-19 Pandemic information includes Public Advice a Q&A, Situation Reports and Myth Busters and more.