IN TANDEM: LINCOLN’S NEW MAYOR, VETERAN HEALTH DIRECTOR FOCUS PANDEMIC RESPONSE ON KEEPING PUBLIC ‘WITH US’

LINCOLN - Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and interim Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director Pat Lopez made daily on-camera appearances, with a focus on keeping residents tuned in as the coronavirus pandemic raged. Since early March, the duo have been making some of the toughest decisions about how to mitigate spread of the virus by restricting events, closing businesses and finally beginning to relax rules. To focus on public health, they say they have prioritized clear communication about what is known and what is being done.

Dr. George Hansen, president of the Lancaster County Medical Society, said Gaylor Baird and Lopez have helped guide Lincoln through the pandemic and shepherded a community response that has limited the number of sick people.

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TESTING OPPORTUNITIES EXPANDED IN SCOTTS BLUFF COUNTY

SCOTTSBLUFF - More opportunities for testing will be available starting next week as Panhandle Public Health District and Community Action Health Center (CAPWN) work together to expand testing in western Nebraska.

Panhandle health officials announced Friday that testing will be offered at Community Action Health Center, located in Gering, three days a week. Testing will be available from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday, for persons who are symptomatic or have been exposed to the coronavirus.

Scotts Bluff County continues to have the most cases in the Panhandle, with 79 currently active cases. Other counties with active cases are: Cheyenne County, two; Garden County, four; and Morrill County, one.

Gov. Pete Ricketts decides each of the directed health measures, charging the local health districts with enforcing the health measures. Engel said that state officials are reviewing certain factors, such as ventilator and bed availability and ICU bed availability, in making those decisions. Hospitals must also have two weeks of personal protective equipment available as well.

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PROGRAMS ENHANCED AND STILL AVAILABLE TO HELP STRUGGLING SMALL BUSINESSES DURING PANDEMIC

GRAND ISLAND - Small Business Administration relief programs that are being offered due to the coronavirus pandemic include the Paycheck Protection Program. Now extended timeframes for potential forgiveness of those loans have been signed into law by the President and terms have been enhanced for the program, where more than $100 billion remains to be disbursed. Small businesses may continue to apply for the PPP program through most lending institutions.

These are welcome changes for small businesses, especially those in the restaurant industry and on our main streets, many of whom have struggled to meet state and local re-opening guidelines, retain employees and meet the repayment period.

Barely two months after it was launched, the PPP has emerged as one of the most consequential, impactful and successful federal disaster response efforts in history. Since April 3, the day the PPP launched, more than 4.5 million potentially forgivable loans have been approved. These loans collectively are worth more than half a trillion dollars and have already helped 190,760 distressed small enterprises cover two months of payroll and other fixed expenses in the Region 7 states of Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa as of May 30, 2020.

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DEADLY INTERSECTION

WASHINGTON - Demonstrations and riots across the country following Floyd’s death are going to make the pandemic even worse, Surgeon General Jerome Adams said. “Based on the way the disease spreads, there is every reason to expect that we will see new clusters and potentially new outbreaks moving forward,” Adams said. Many protesters have worn masks. Some have distributed hand sanitizer. But hundreds or sometimes thousands of people have gathered in close proximity to protest police brutality over the past week, so it will be especially important to increase testing and personal protective gear across the states, Adams said. He also said people’s concerns about Floyd need to be heard, and he expressed concern about the long-term consequences of racism and the pandemic on communities of color.

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NEBRASKA HHS ISSUES RATIONING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COVID TREATMENT REMDESIVIR

LINCOLN - The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said last week it is getting more shipments of the drug remdesivir, used to treat some hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

The state received new shipments of the drug and distributed them to Nebraska hospitals, based on the numbers of COVID-19 patients they had had in the previous two weeks, the department said. The advisory, from state epidemiologist Dr. Tom Safranek and state public health director Dr. Gary Anthone, gave recommendations on use of the drug based on patient criteria. One of those recommendations, that patients have "reasonable functional status," has been questioned by Disability Rights Nebraska CEO Eric Evans. In a letter to the department, he asked if that recommendation would exclude people with significant disabilities, such as those who need help performing basic tasks during the day.

A study by Gilead, the company that developed the drug, produced new data Monday that showed it helped patients with “moderate” disease recover more quickly when they received it for five days. It added to evidence the medicine is at least a somewhat effective treatment for the virus. But it's still unknown how effective, and in what patients.

Last month, Bryan Health began treating COVID-19 patients with remdesivir. The hospital system received an allocation of 30 vials of the antiviral medication May 15. The week before, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced the state had received 400 vials of the drug and received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration but not the agency's full approval, in part because of its promising early results.

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STATES SHIELDING CONSUMERS FROM HIGH COVID-19 TEST COSTS

WASHINGTON - States are trying to step in to protect patients from high costs associated with coronavirus tests. From Washington to Tennessee, officials are issuing regulations to tamp down on costs, concerned that the federal government is failing to do the job.

The costs of tests are, in some cases, staggering. One national insurer was billed $6,946 for a coronavirus test in Texas. In Oklahoma, health plans received 175 out-of-network claims for coronavirus tests over a single week that ranged from $153 to $2,315 per test, said Laura Fleet, executive director of the Oklahoma Association of Health Plans.

High costs could dissuade patients from getting tested — thereby setting back surveillance.

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LINCOLN POLICE OFFICER TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS

LINCOLN- A Lincoln police officer who worked during protests over the last week has tested positive for the coronavirus. This is the the Lincoln Police Department's first confirmed coronavirus case. 

In a press release, the department said the officer decided to get tested as a precaution after working during the demonstrations that took place in Lincoln over the last week over racism and police brutality. Similar demonstrations attracting hundreds and even thousands of protesters have taken place in Omaha, too, with some bracing for the possibility of a resulting spike in coronavirus cases. 

The Lincoln officer does not currently have any symptoms and is quarantining. He or she has not been in contact with other police department employees or the public since starting the quarantine. No other LPD employees have tested positive, but employees who had contact with the officer have been contacted and encouraged to get tested. 

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MILLARD STUDENTS LIKELY WEAR MASKS IN THE FALL, AND OTHER DISTRICTS HAVEN'T RULED IT OUT

MILLARD- Students in the Millard Public Schools will likely be wearing masks at school in the fall and could face other substantial changes because of COVID-19. The district has ordered 60,000 masks, two masks for every teacher and student, officials said.

There would be some exceptions to wearing masks — for instance, medically fragile children, an official said. The school board was briefed Monday on the district’s preliminary plans for reopening buildings for the 2020-21 school year. Under the plans floated by district administrators, kids would be washing and sanitizing hands repeatedly throughout the day, coming and going from classes.

“We are ordering buckets and gallons of hand sanitizer,” said Chad Meisgeier, the district’s chief financial officer.

Teachers and paraprofessionals would be asked to help wipe down desks between every class period.

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FEDERAL TAX CHANGES IN CORONAVIRUS RELIEF MEASURE COULD CAUSE $250 MILLION HIT TO NEBRASKA COFFERS

LINCOLN — Federal tax changes could put major property tax relief even further out of reach and worsen Nebraska’s fiscal woes this year. A recent Nebraska Department of Revenue analysis estimated that the federal changes would cut state tax revenues by $250 million over three years. The reduction would be on top of the revenue losses expected because of the coronavirus.

State Sen. Lou Ann Linehan of Elkhorn, who chairs the Legislature’s Revenue Committee, said the tax changes will create additional challenges for Nebraska lawmakers when they reconvene in July to finish putting together a state budget and addressing tax policy questions.

“There’s many, many unknowns,” she said. “We need to look at each one of those and see how it fits in the whole puzzle.”As part of that examination, Linehan said the state should consider whether to allow the federal tax changes to automatically affect state tax liability. But Sen. John Stinner of Gering, the Appropriations Committee chairman, argued against undoing the state effects of the federal tax changes, saying that would be contrary to the economy-boosting intent of the federal legislation 

The Revenue Department analysis shows that changes to corporate income taxes account for the bulk of the revenue losses, an estimated $230 million in the three fiscal years ending June 30, 2023. The changes affect limits on charitable contribution deductions, handling of business losses and deductions of business interest, among other things. 

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PAST DUE: MAJORITY OF EMERGENCY AIDE TO PROVIDERS NOT PAID OUT BY TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON - Months after Congress approved $175 billion in emergency aid to health providers, the Trump administration has yet to pay out the majority of the funds — nearly $100 billion — amid a series of setbacks and internal uncertainty over how best to distribute the money. At least 1,900 health centers across the country have temporarily closed already, with a growing number of providers furloughing staff to keep afloat. What federal aid has gone out has largely missed those that care primarily for the poorest and most vulnerable Americans.

Republicans led by Sen. Chuck Grassley pressured health officials in private over the past few weeks, at one point threatening to go public with their criticisms if the administration failed to pick up the pace. The Trump administration has blamed much of the holdup on state health departments that have been slow to provide information critical to determining which providers should qualify for the next round of funding.

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MORE SUPPORT FOR CMS TELEHEALTH POLICIES

WASHINGTON - Federal Trade Commission staff supports CMS’ temporary telehealth policies during the national emergency but suggests removing any remaining barriers to access, says a new comment letter filed with the agency. CMS should also consider whether some of these temporary telehealth policies should remain permanent.

Making telehealth easier to access “could potentially enhance competition, improve access and quality, and decrease health care costs in both the public and private sectors,” the letter reads.

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NEARLY 26,000 NURSING HOME RESIDENTS HAVE DIED FROM COVID-19, NEWLY RELEASED DATA SHOWS

WASHINGTON- Newly released data from the U.S. government show that nearly 26,000 nursing home residents have died from COVID-19 and more than 60,000 have fallen ill. These figures, however, don't account for all nursing homes across the country.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, known as CMS, about 80% of nursing homes nationwide reported data to the CDC as is now required. The remaining 20% could face fines if they don't comply. CMS Administrator Seema Verma told reporters on a conference call Monday that the data has limitations: Some facilities have reported cumulative figures, and some have reported weekly. She said she expects the discrepancies will even out over time. The figures will be publicly available Thursday on a government website called Nursing Home Compare. 

CMS also announced Monday that it will be stepping up fines for nursing homes that fail to sufficiently control infections. Nursing homes that have previously been cited for lax infection control could receive fines ranging from $5,000 to $20,000.

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EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION APPS USHER IN NEW PRIVACY BILL

WASHINGTON - Congress is on the beat for contact-tracing apps. On Tuesday, a bipartisan group led by Senate Commerce ranking Democrat Maria Cantwell of Washington and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced a bill to require that public health agencies be involved before notifications can go out, our Tech colleague John Hendel reports.

The Exposure Notification Privacy Act would also require that consumers be able to give consent, opt out whenever they like, and delete their own data. “This bill defends privacy when someone voluntarily joins with others to stop the spread of Covid-19,” Cassidy said.

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GRAND ISLAND OFFICIALS LIKEN 1980 TORNADOES TO COVID-19

GRAND ISLAND - Tragedies such as tornadoes and a deadly virus show a community’s resiliency. They’re also an opportunity for city leaders to make things better than they were, according to the president of the Grand Island Area Chamber of Commerce. When you live through a tornado or a virus, “you can come out of them either better than you were before or you can come out of them a victim,” said Cindy Johnson.

Johnson is grateful for leaders like Wayne Bennett, who was Grand Island’s public works director when South Locust was widened. Sidewalks, lighting and greenscaping were added.

Sometimes it’s easy for a leader to “just hold the line” and keep things at the status quo. “It’s much more challenging to be a visionary leader” and “see what the possibilities are,” Johnson said.

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RICKETTS CONCERNED VIRUS WILL FLARE AGAIN WITH ON-GOING PROTESTS

LINCOLN - Nebraska could see another flare-up of coronavirus cases because of the demonstrations over the death of George Floyd, but state officials concluded that allowing protesters to peacefully vent was more important than concerns about the pandemic.

Protests in Omaha and Lincoln have each drawn more than 1,000 people, often clustered into large groups as they confront law enforcement officers. Some protesters and officers haven't worn masks, ignoring the recommendation of public health officials.

Ricketts said he discussed concerns about the virus with other public officials, but decided that the protesters' free-speech rights “outweigh the concerns about the pandemic."

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LINCOLN PUBLIC SCHOOLS CONSIDERING SEVERAL STAGGERED SCHOOL SCHEDULES FOR FALL, WANT PARENTS’ OPINIONS

LINCOLN – A survey Lincoln Public Schools plans to send to parents Thursday offers a glimpse of the scenarios the state’s second-largest district is considering for school this fall. The survey will ask parents which of the following options would work best for their families if the COVID-19 situation is severe enough that schools can’t operate normally:

* Students go to school every day for half a day.

* Students attend school every other week and attend classes via Zoom on the weeks they’re home. Students at home wouldn’t be on Zoom all six hours, but for a more limited time.

* Students participate in all classes virtually via Zoom conferences at specific times.

Matt Larson, associate superintendent for instruction, stressed that no decision has yet been made and the district is following guidance from the Nebraska Department of Education, the CDC and local health department.

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UNL FACILITY MAKES PROTEIN THAT COULD BE USED TO TREAT SEVERE CASES OF COVID-19

LINCOLN - Officials with a University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering facility were working with a company to develop a recombinant protein for another use when the coronavirus struck. The company, which is involved in drug discovery, determined the protein could be used to treat the effects of the coronavirus, said Dennis Hensen, project manager with the Biological Process Development Facility.

The protein would not be a cure but could provide an option for people with advanced cases of COVID-19 to either prevent the need for or reduce time on a ventilator, said Scott Johnson, the facility’s production manager.

The next step for the company will be to conduct safety testing in animals. That testing must be completed before the firm could seek approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for clinical trials in people.

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LINCOLN SENATOR SAYS RECENT EVENTS HAVE SHAKEN HER 'TO THE CORE'

LINCOLN- The killing of George Floyd has impacted people in ways that the many other recent shootings and killings of black people in America have not.

Many have said they really didn't understand the extent of the racial inequality in this country — inequality and discrimination that has been highly present for 400 years — but now they are ready to listen and learn. So it is with this Nebraska lawmaker, Lincoln Sen. Suzanne Geist, who has been so disturbed by the Floyd killing she took to Twitter this week to talk about it. The May 25 killing of Floyd in Minneapolis, a city 6½ hours by car from her home, opened Geist's eyes wide. 

On Wednesday, she started the conversation on Twitter. 

"This post has been one that’s very difficult to find the right words but I must say something. The tragic events we’ve watched over the past week have helped expose a deep wound in our society that must be discussed and acted upon," she tweeted. "It has shook me to the core that this is happening and I didn't see it," she said. 

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DEMOCRATS CLAMOR FOR CLEAN ENERGY AID

WASHINGTON – “Democratic lawmakers — led by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and House E&C Environment Subcommittee Chair Paul Tonko — are calling on congressional leadership to help the clean energy sector as part of any new economic recovery legislation, amid reports that the sector already lost nearly 600,000 jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic. The lawmakers are seeking to extend and offer "additional flexibility" for clean energy tax credits and federal investments in various clean energy technologies.”

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LINCOLN MAULED: ONE NIGHT, MOR ETHAN $10 MILLION IN DAMAGE

LINCOLN - As rioters replaced protesters late Saturday and early Sunday, and moved between the two centers of government, they shattered dozens of windows, started fires, sprayed graffiti, uprooted signs, broke bus stops and trashed offices. The city estimated its damage alone at $10 million.

As for the capitol building, it lost 15 window panes on its northwest side, and vandals tagged the Abe Lincoln statue and other areas. And four days later, the offices along the mall aren’t done cleaning up, either.

The damage on the main level of the Nebraska Association of County Officials building was so thorough it could be months before employees return to work on that floor.

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