Ricketts sets new health measures

 

October 22, 2020



Governor Pete Ricketss announced changes to Nebraska’s directed health measures, Friday.

Hospitals, bars and restaurants, gatherings and wedding and funeral venues will adjust to the new DHMS, which went into effect, Wednesday, Oct. 21, and will remain effective through Nov. 30.

“We still have the pandemic. There’s still a virus around. It’s still important you wear that mask, that you wash your hands and that you maintain six foot of distance between you and other people,” Ricketts said.

The governor stressed that all steps taken to combat COVID-19 are to maintain hospital capacity.

“Right now, we’re at 30% of hospital beds, 29% of ICU beds and 77% of our ventilators,” Ricketts said.

Changes to state DHMs, broken down by category, include:

Elective procedures/surgeries

• Hospitals must maintain at least 10% of their staffed general and ICU beds as reserve capacity to treat COVID-19 patients, if elective procedures are to continue.

• Hospitals must continue to accept and treat COVID-19 patients and must not transfer COVID-19 patients to create room for elective procedures.

Bars/restaurants

• Patrons must be seated while on premises unless they are placing an order, using the restroom or playing games.

• 100% of rated occupancy continues.

• A maximum of eight individuals in a party will be enforced. Groups larger than eight will need to divide into multiple groups.

Gatherings

• Indoor gatherings will be limited to 50% of rated occupancy, with no more than 10,000 people.

• Outdoor gathers will remain at 100% of rated occupancy, not to exceed 10,000.

• Gatherings include, but are not limited to, ourdoor arenas, indoor or outdoor auctions, stadiums, tracks, fairgrounds, festivals, zoos, auditorium, large event conference rooms, meeting halls, indoor theaters, libraries, swimming pools and any other confined indoor or outdoor space.

• Groups shall be no larger than eight individuals.

• Plans to reopen or expand new capacity limites must be submitted to local health departments and approved for all venues that hold 500 or more individuals (1,000 or more in counties with more than 500,000 population).

Wedding/funeral

reception venues

• Maximum of eight individuals in a party.

• 100% of rated capacity remains in effect.

• Limited dances or other social events requiring guests to gather outside of their respective tables in guidance.

 

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