The history of COVID-19 in Nebraska

In Nebraska alone, there have been over 2,000 deaths related to COVID-19 and a total of 270,000 cases. The COVID-19 pandemic lasted much longer than anyone expected. Many people thought that COVID-19 would not last this long nor directly affect them.

At this moment, Lincoln is at a severe level of cases. We are currently in the orange on the case scale. The vaccine is available and as of May this year, more than 38% of Nebraska has been vaccinated. Recently, Lincoln’s mask mandate has been extended from the end of September to the end of October. The mask mandate has had several extensions under the Directed Health Measure.

The first case of COVID-19 in Nebraska was recorded on March 6, 2020 after the CDC had found cases in the United States in January. After preparing for COVID-19’s impact, Nebraska closed schools in the same county where the first positive case was found on March 9. Not long after, other facilities closed down. From March 27 to March 30, the first four people died due to COVID-19 in Nebraska. December 10 marked the most people to die in Nebraska in one day, reaching 47 COVID-19 deaths.

After Lincoln received the vaccine, our local government laid out a plan to vaccinate our populace, starting with the most vital workers like nurses, first responders and doctors. Next they vaccinated the elderly due to the higher risk the elderly and those with weakened immune systems have. Finally, the vaccine was released to the public.

COVID-19 has changed a lot. It has done much damage, taken lives and ruined plans. The good news is that much has come from the season in the form of new hobbies and deeper connections between people. COVID-19 may still be constraining but humanity has a tendency to find a way through.

By TJ Pittenger