Media Contacts:
Khalilah LeGrand, DHHS Office of Communications
(402) 471-9313 / khalilah.legrand@nebraska.gov
Taylor Gage, Governor Pete Ricketts' Office
(402) 471-1970 / taylor.gage@nebraska.gov
ATTENTION: Questions from the public about vaccine phases can be directed to the COVID-19 Information Line at (833) 998-2275 or (402) 552-6645. Visit your local health department's website to see if they have an electronic signup or additional information on phases.
Lincoln, Neb. – Test Nebraska sites will be operating as normal during Monday's Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday, making Monday, January 18, the perfect day to get tested.
In the words of Dr. King “The time is always right to do what's right."
Testing remains one of the most important tools we have in slowing the spread of COVID-19. Getting tested is easy. Free testing continues to be available to any resident who wants one. Those who may have been exposed to COVID-19 or who are experiencing any symptoms are encouraged to schedule an appointment. Appointments are available at more than 60 testing sites across the state. So schedule an appointment today!
COVID-19 symptoms can include a fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, tiredness, muscle aches, headaches, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea.
Visit Testnebraska.com, or TestNebraska.com/es for Spanish, to schedule an appointment. Those with questions about testing, results or who need help completing the online assessment, can call the Test Nebraska hotline at (402) 207-9377.
Nebraskans are also reminded that basic precautions are the best defense against COVID-19. Wearing a mask, watching your distance, washing hands often, staying home when you're sick, and avoiding the 3C's – crowded places, close contact with others, and confined spaces – are critical to limiting infection.
In addition, now that vaccine rollout has begun in Nebraska, DHHS has launched a COVID-19 Vaccination dashboard to share how Nebraska's vaccination effort is progressing over time.
It provides a daily total of first and second dose vaccinations given, as well as breakdown of doses given by age, gender, race, and ethnicity. The dashboard also reports the percent of the population aged 16 and older completing COVID-19 vaccination. Thus far, COVID-19 vaccines have only been approved for use in those age 16 and older.
The dashboard also includes a timeline for COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Nebraska, displaying the phases and priority groups as reflected in the state's COVID-19 vaccination plan. Priority groups and timing projections remain tentative and will be adjusted as new federal recommendations are issued and as vaccine shipments are scheduled.
A link to the COVID-19 Vaccination dashboard is at the top of the DHHS COVID-19 Cases dashboard, and is available at https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ece0db09da4d4ca68252c3967aa1e9dd/page/page_1/
The vaccination and COVID case dashboards are updated around 7 p.m. CT each evening.