BRYAN OFFICIALS: LINCOLN MAY BE STARTING TO SEE COVID-19 SURGE

LINCOLN- Bryan Health officials said Wednesday that they believe Lincoln and surrounding areas are seeing the beginnings of the long-predicted "surge" of COVID-19 cases.As of Wednesday morning, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients at Bryan was 14, an increase of six from Tuesday, and four of them were on ventilators.

"This is the highest number of positive COVID patients we've had in the hospital," said John Woodrich, CEO of Bryan Medical Center.

Luckily, Woodrich said, the number of severely ill people and the number of people on ventilators is lower than what modeling has shown. As of Wednesday morning, Lincoln had 161 cases, which is double the number it had just 10 days ago. Only one county resident has died from COVID-19 so far. Bryan has seen its number of positive tests, which includes results from other counties as well as multiple tests performed on some patients, grow from 111 a week ago to 254 on Wednesday -- a 130% increase.

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SMITHFIELD RUMORS CLOSURE OF CRETE FACILITY, QUICKLY REVERSES TO REDUCED SCHEDULE AMID INCREASED CASES. 50 WORKERS WALK OF THE JOB IN RESPONSE

CRETE- The number of COVID-19 cases associated with Nebraska meatpacking plants continues to rise, and at least one of them had been rumored to close. Pat Lopez, interim director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, said Monday afternoon that the Smithfield plant in Crete would close this week. Employees of the plant also told the Journal Star that it would close as early as Wednesday.

A Smithfield spokeswoman would not confirm the shutdown, saying in an email Monday: "The company will make an announcement if there are material changes to its operations."

However on Tuesday in an email to employees Smithfield announced a reduced working schedule of half days for some employees starting Thursday. About 50 workers Tuesday staged a brief, impromptu walkout after company officials announced the plant would remain open.

The walkout wasn't union-sanctioned, and the workers eventually went back into the plant to discuss their concerns with managers. But a local union representative said it highlights the stress many workers are feeling as they work “elbow-to-elbow, shoulder-to-shoulder” cutting and packaging meat.

“They're scared,” Eric Reeder, president of the United Food & Commercial Workers Local 293, which represents meatpacking throughout the state, told the Associated Press. “They want the company to be more transparent.”

Saline County now has 87 confirmed cases of the disease, at least 47 of which are directly linked to the Smithfield plant in Crete, according to the Public Health Solutions Health District. There is at least one case in Lincoln that's also linked to the plant. Less than a week ago, there were 17 cases reported in Saline County and nine linked to the plant.

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ONE RICH N.Y. HOSPITAL GOT WARREN BUFFET'S HELP. THIS ONE GOT DUCT TAPE.

NEW YORK - It has been hours since the 71-year-old man in Room 3 of the intensive care unit succumbed to Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. His body has been cleaned, packed in an orange bag and covered in a white sheet, but the overextended transport team from the morgue has yet to arrive.

The nurses on duty have too many other worries. University Hospital of Brooklyn, in the heart of the city hit hardest by a world-altering pandemic, can seem like it is falling apart. The roof leaks. The corroded pipes burst with alarming frequency. On one of the intensive care units, plastic tarps and duct tape serve as flimsy barriers separating patients. Nurses record vital signs with pen and paper, rather than computer systems.

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RELIEF FOR THERAPISTS?

WASHINGTON- Reps. Cindy Axne, Troy Balderson and French Hill last week introduced the Emergency COVID-19 Telehealth Response Act to ensure Medicare reimbursement for clinical social workers, occupational therapists, audiologists, speech pathologists and physical therapists. While CMS has expanded the types of virtual services Medicare pays for during the pandemic, not all practitioners are covered — forcing them either to avoid virtual treatment or deliver it without any payment guarantees.

Such measures could help patients who are currently "forced to choose between taking the precautions of staying home and getting the care they need," Axne said in a news release. Also on telehealth, RSA President Rohit Ghai told Pro Cyber's Tim Starks last week that the world needs to start preparing now for the cyber risks of a post-coronavirus world.

"If during the pandemic we've allowed a lot of our workers to access data from their home environments, is that going to be the new normal going forward?" he said to Tim. "As such, how should our data governance need to evolve? There's going to be a lot of that kind of activity."

GOV. RICKETTS ANNOUNCES BUSINESS TASK FORCE TO "GET NEBRASKA GROWING" & PROVIDES UPDATE ON TEST NEBRASKA INITIATIVE

LINCOLN- Monday, during his daily press conference, Governor Ricketts announced the formation of a business task force to restore growth to Nebraska's economy. The task force will be headed by state economic development director Tony Goins. This task for ce will examine resuming business operations across the state safely, and with cooperation among businesses, banks, the ag community, and economic developers.

Additionally, Governor Ricketts announced that TestNebraska.com, the state's assessment tool has had 89,000 submitted assessments as of Monday morning. Testing sites are expected to be in Grad Island and Omaha later this week. The governor urged those outside of those two cities to also be proactive in taking the assessment. 

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DAKOTA COUNTY ONE OF THE NATION'S FASTEST GROWING CORONAVIRUS HOTSPOTS

SIOUX CITY, IA- The Sioux City, Iowa, metropolitan area -- including Dakota County in Nebraska, tucked on the bluffs of the Missouri River -- has the fastest growth of coronavirus cases in the U.S.

The five-county area encompassing Nebraska, Iowa and parts of South Dakota landed on the top of the New York Times' list of U.S. cities with the highest daily growth rate, charting 131% daily growth in recent days. According to the county's public health department, as of Monday, there are 608 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county of 20,026 people -- meaning 30 people out of every 1,000, or 3% of all residents, have contracted the disease.

The county recorded its first two cases of the disease on April 13 but has since jumped to the No. 5 county in the U.S. in terms of growth rate

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ANTIBODIES: BLOOD WARRIORS WITH A GRUDGE

To track the spread of the coronavirus, researchers are developing antibody tests using blood samples. The COVID-19 antibody test is one way to identify people who have been exposed to the virus – even if they don’t show any symptoms.

While COVID-19 antibody tests are currently in development, scientists have used antibody tests for other illnesses for years. Find out how antibodies could potentially be used to detect, prevent or even treat COVID-19.

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UNMC PROVIDES GUIDANCE ON COVID-19 TEST PROCESSES

OMAHA - Not only are technologists in the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory working overtime testing specimens for COVID-19, they also are making test processes more efficient and safe for lab technologists across the country.

Pete Iwen, Ph.D., director of the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory and professor in the UNMC Department of Pathology and Microbiology, and his colleagues recently published two articles in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology, a major journal referenced by laboratory technologists.

One article provides biosafety instructions for laboratorians; the other focuses on the use of group testing to conserve laboratory test materials. Both articles are considered "hot topics," having received thousands of views and downloads.

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A NEW PROBLEM IS BREWING IN THE BEER INDUSTRY: ONE MILLION KEGS ARE GOING STALE

Millions of gallons of beer stuck in stadiums, concert halls, restaurants and bars are fast going stale, leaving the beer industry with a tricky problem: What to do with all that booze nobody will ever drink?

The coronavirus pandemic forced U.S. bars to close ahead of two of the country’s biggest drinking occasions: St Patrick’s Day and the “March Madness” basketball tournament. Beer intended for those events is now spoiling in locked establishments, and brewers are trying to get it back so kegs can be refilled before lockdowns lift. Executives say draft beer typically stays fresh for between two and six months.

“This was the absolute worst time for this to happen for draft beer,” said Craig Purser, chief executive of the National Beer Wholesalers Association, a trade body. “We have never ever seen an interruption like this where everything freezes in place.”

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ZOO CAMS OFFER SOLACE FOR HUMANS ON LOCKDOWN

CHICAGO - Humans are finding common ground with captive animals as the pandemic has forced people inside. Living space is limited, with some apartments not much bigger than a seal enclosure. Food is delivered to the door. Family spats break out.

Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium last month began posting edited videos of its three rockhopper penguins wandering around its newly empty galleries. The videos, which among other things show the penguins staring at beluga whales, stingrays and dolphins, have been collectively seen online 48 million times, the aquarium says. The posts’ popularity hatched ideas for new installments, including videos of the penguins nesting.

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NU ANNOUNCES PLANS TO HAVE CLASSES ON CAMPUS IN FALL

LINCOLN - The University of Nebraska intends to hold in-person classes on all of its campuses in the fall, NU President Ted Carter said Friday.

In a message sent out to faculty, staff and students, Carter laid out the plan for the University of Nebraska system to be open in the fall, while taking into consideration the possibility of continued coronavirus restrictions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced most colleges and universities nationwide to shift to online classes. The NU system, which has campuses in Lincoln, Omaha and Kearney, made the decision to call off the rest of the spring semester's in-person classes in lieu of remote teaching on March 12. It will continue delivering online courses this summer.

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STOTHERT: OMAHA PARKS WILL REOPEN, AND CITY'S GENERAL FUND COULD TAKE $80 MILLION HIT

STOTHERT: OMAHA PARKS WILL REOPEN, AND CITY'S GENERAL FUND COULD TAKE $80 MILLION HIT

OMAHA - In need of some fresh air and sunshine? Omaha’s parks will reopen Saturday, nearly a week earlier than planned — though restrictions will remain in place. Whether city pools will open this summer remains to be seen.

Mayor Jean Stothert said in a wide-ranging press conference Friday that parks will be open citywide on Saturday with restricted hours, from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Park users must still follow social distancing guidelines, including limiting groups to 10 and maintaining 6 feet of space. The city’s dog parks also are being reopened, but Omaha’s 197 playgrounds will remain closed. Stothert pleaded with parents to keep children off the playgrounds, because the city can’t keep the equipment disinfected. 

“We want you to enjoy the outside, but we really want to protect your safety, too,” Stothert said.

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RICKETTS EASING NEBRASKA CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS AS OF MAY 4; LIMITED REOPENING OF ECONOMY

LINCOLN — By May 4, diners can begin returning to restaurants in the Omaha area and several other areas of Nebraska lightly impacted by the coronavirus, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced on Friday.The decision to begin relaxing the state’s COVID-19 restrictions, the governor said, was based on “hard data” that hospitals and intensive care units are not being swamped, and not on pressure to reopen the economy.

“If we’re not overwhelming our health care system, we’re winning,” Ricketts said.

The decision also includes a resumption of religious services, weddings and funerals, with restrictions. Tattoo parlors, hair salons and massage studios will also be allowed to reopen. And child care centers will be allowed to have 15 children per room, up from 10. Some health professionals, including one with experience in Lexington — one of the state’s hot spots — expressed doubt about relaxing restrictions now.

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SENATOR LOU ANN LINEHAN: TAX REFORM CRUCIAL RIGHT NOW

LINCOLN- In a 'local view' opinion piece, Senator Lou Ann Linehan responded to a recent editorial board release by the Lincoln Journal Star stating that the board was correct in stating  “property tax relief for Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers remains sorely needed.” However that is a major divination from the editorial board's opinion: 

"That, put simply, means that the state will not have sufficient income to fund the property tax relief proposal without decimating the remainder of the discretionary budget -- the part that funds the University of Nebraska and state agencies, whose services will be needed in the upcoming recovery." ('Virus should lead senators to take new look at taxes' April 17, 2020)

Senator Linehan's response, while offering no new statistics or developed plans for relief, continued to argue that property tax relief is possible, and necessary, even during the projected continued economic downturn.  We would note that during a Platte Institute zoom meeting on Thursday, Dr. Ernie Goss estimated losses during a 3 week period at the start of the pandemic at $46.16 Million.   Our opinion is that it much to early in the process to determine whether or not it is realistic to proceed with property tax relief.  

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OPENING OF NEBRASKA SWIMMING POOLS IN QUESTION AMID CORONAVIRUS

LINCOLN- Some poolgoers, including those in Omaha and Lincoln, should get answers soon about whether their pools will open this summer. This week, Gov. Pete Ricketts reiterated that pools have to abide by the 10-person limit and 6-foot physical distancing as long as directed health measures are in effect.

The terms of those measures vary by county, extending to at least April 30 in Douglas and Sarpy Counties and to May 11 in others. Ricketts has said the state is examining how and when it might go about reopening parts of Nebraska life. However, he also has said people should expect some restrictions to remain in place indefinitely, given that a vaccine is a long way off.

In an April 15 memorandum, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy encouraged pool operators to delay openings until after restrictions are lifted.

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OFFICIALS SAY FEDERAL MONEY HELPING FIX CANAL THAT SUPPLIES NEBRASKA PANHANDLE FARMERS IS NOT ENOUGH

LINCOLN - Farmers in the Nebraska Panhandle are getting additional assistance in the repair of a crucial irrigation canal, but officials with the irrigation district say more help will be needed.

At the request of Sens. Deb Fischer and Ben Sasse and Rep. Adrian Smith, the Bureau of Reclamation has agreed to reclassify 35% of a $2.3 million loan as a grant. That will spare farmers $800,000 in loan repayments. Gov. Pete Ricketts is also proposing a $3.8 million grant to help toward repairs, and his proposal is working its way through the Legislature.

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LEGISLATIVE CHALLENGER PALMTAG ANSWERS ATTACKS BY HER OWN PARTY

LINCOLN - Legislative candidate Janet Palmtag of Syracuse responded Tuesday to a series of attacks leveled at her by the Nebraska Republican Party despite her own GOP affiliation while pledging to be "a conservative, independent voice" in the Legislature.  Palmtag has been the target of direct mail and radio ads by the Republican Party that have accused her of "siding with Lincoln liberals" and having "gone Lincoln" in her approach to some issues.

"Some people in the GOP are angry with me for questioning a 30% raise for the director of corrections," Palmtag said. Ryan Hamilton, executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party, said the criticism directed at Palmtag by the party is "not personal; it's all issue-based."

Palmtag is seeking southeastern Nebraska's District 1 seat, which is now held by Sen. Julie Slama of Peru, who was appointed by Republican Gov. Pete Ricketts to fill a vacancy in 2019. Palmtag has been endorsed by former Governor Dave Heineman and Rep. Jeff Fortenberry.

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TRUMP ADMINSTRATION TO ALLOW SMALL CASINOS TO APPLY FOR CORONAVIRUS LOANS

WASHINGTON- The Trump administration revised guidelines on Friday to allow small casinos impacted by the coronavirus pandemic to receive small business loans. The Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that size-eligible legal, small gaming entities can participate in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). 

In the initial package, businesses that received more than one-third of their gross annual revenue from legal gambling activities were ineligible for loans. PPP is now poised to receive an injection of $310 billion after the initial $349 billion was disbursed in less than two weeks.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) celebrated the revised guidelines, noting the industry group has been working “tirelessly” to change the policy.

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MCCONNELL SPARKS BIPARTISAN BACKLASH WITH STATE BANKRUPTCY REMARKS

WASHINGTON-  Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is facing blowback from across the political spectrum after he suggested states should be able to declare bankruptcy as they face severe budget holes sparked by the coronavirus outbreak. 

"I would certainly be in favor of allowing states to use the bankruptcy route. It saves some cities. And there’s no good reason for it not to be available. My guess is their first choice would be for the federal government to borrow money from future generations to send it down to them now so they don’t have to do that. That’s not something I’m going to be in favor of," McConnell said. 

The remarks were met with quick and fierce backlash by lawmakers and local officials from states hit hard by the spread of the coronavirus, including members of McConnell’s own party. Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), who is retiring, called McConnell the “Marie Antoinette of the Senate.”

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WARREN BUFFETT'S 'FORTRESS' IS BREACHED BY CORONAVIRUS-RELATED SHUTDOWNS

OMAHA- Even as market watchers await Warren Buffett's splashy move to seize on fallout from the current crisis, his Omaha-based Berkshire Hathaway hasn't been spared by the pandemic.

Coronavirus-related shutdowns across the U.S. have hit Berkshire units including See's Candies, a shoemaker and industrial behemoth Precision Castparts. That could leave a few scars on the conglomerate that gives the billionaire investor his ammo and has been pumping out more than $20 billion in annual profit in recent years.

Buffett's business partner, Charlie Munger, put it bluntly. "We've got a few businesses, small ones, we won't reopen when this is over," he told the Wall Street Journal, without naming the units.

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