Contact:
Taylor Gage, Governor Pete Ricketts' Office
(402) 471-1970 / taylor.gage@nebraska.gov
Khalilah LeGrand, DHHS Office of Communications
(402) 853-1320 / khalilah.legrand@nebraska.gov
Leah Bucco-White, DHHS Office of Communications
(402) 309-4157 / leah.bucco-white@nebraska.gov
LINCOLN, Neb. – On Thursday, the State of Nebraska released data for its third month of Test Nebraska testing assessments, rates and results since the launch of the program.
The statistics below reflect the number of Nebraskans tested daily for COVID-19 throughout the month of July:
July 1: 601
July 12: 1,608
July 23: 2,314
July 2: 1,685
July 13: 1,487
July 24: 2,119
July 3: 1,303
July 14: 1,954
July 25: 2,393
July 4: 946
July 15: 2,099
July 26: 1,553
July 5: Holiday
July 16: 2,702
July 27: 1,526
July 6: 320
July 17: 1,473
July 28: 3,035
July 7: 727
July 18: 1,768
July 29: 2,033
July 8: 1,254
July 19: 1,896
July 30: 2,129
July 9: 2,119
July 20: 1,759
July 31: 3,010
July 10: 3,204
July 21: 1,903
July 11: 1,856
July 22: 2,323
Number of positive and negative test results to date
Through Test Nebraska, a total of 2,010 Nebraska residents tested positive for COVID-19 during the month of July. A total of 4,506 Nebraska residents have received positive test results since testing began May 4. Negative test results during the month of July totaled 53,121. A total of 107,843 people tested have received negative test results since testing began. Inconclusive results were shared with 149 people during the month of July; 204 inconclusive results have come back since the start of testing.
Nebraska residents completed a total of 200,900 assessments throughout the month of July. The cumulative total of assessments completed is 830,363. These statistics represent the number of people who fully completed assessments to determine their eligibility to receive a test for COVID-19 to date. The average turnaround time for tests to return results was 57.9 hours during the month of July; it has taken an average of 52.2 hours to receive test results since the start of testing.
“The fact that Test Nebraska continues to test more and more Nebraskans each month -- topping 53,000 in July and nearly doubling the numbers from June -- shows that the program is working incredibly well," said Mark Newman, CEO of Nomi Health. "While other state's testing programs struggle with shortages and delays, Governor Ricketts has taken an effective and efficient approach to testing. Test Nebraska has proven it is more than capable of processing more than 3,000 tests each day while delivering results to patients in an average of less than 48 hours."
Testing Locations – July 2020
July testing locations included: Long Term Care Facilities, Crossroads Mall, North Star High School, Omaha CHI, Columbus, Norfolk, Fremont, West Point, Kearney, Blair, York, Salem Baptist Church, North Platte, Butler County Health, Seward, Jefferson Community Center, Grand Island Central District Health Department , Chadron, Lincoln LEC, Regional West Medical Center, Lexington, Grand Island, Brodstone, Hastings, Nebraska City, Jackson Tower, Camp Ashland, Ogallala, Melham Medical Center, Broken Bow, Saunders County, South Sioux City, McCook, Midtown Health, Burwell, Cambridge Community, Ashland Greenwood, Raymond Central, Arapahoe, Correctional Facilities, Oxford Fire Barn, Scottsbluff, Beaver City Office, Gordon Memorial Center, Valentine, Columbus Community Center, Alliance and Lexington Regional Center, Regional West Medical Center, Saunders County Fairgrounds, Midtown Health Center – Norfolk, Kearney (Buffalo County Fairgrounds), Cambridge Community Building, Raymond Central Elementary School – Saunders Health Center, Columbus Community Hospital.
Test Nebraska encourages any Nebraska residents who have participated in any large group activities where masks were not worn and social distancing did not occur to get tested for COVID-19 to help inform whether those persons test positive and should self-quarantine for 14 days to prevent the spread of the disease.
Nebraskans can complete an assessment at TestNebraska.com or Testnebraska/es for Spanish. Once the assessment is completed, applicants will receive an email from Test Nebraska informing them of eligibility. For those who are eligible, the email will direct them to select the location, date and time that is convenient for them. A confirmation email will include a bar code, which residents need to print off and bring with them to the testing site. The assessment can be completed via computer or by phone. If an individual does not have Internet access, a relative or friend can help them complete the assessment. The Test Nebraska lab can process 3,000 tests per day, and is expanding to 7,000 in the near future.
A Test Nebraska hotline was established to help those completing an assessment get answers to general questions (402) 207-9377.
DHHS will continue to update Nebraskans through the DHHS website and on Facebook and Twitter as we have new information. The CDC's website is also a good resource for COVID-19 information - https://www.cdc.gov/covid19.
DHHS opened a statewide COVID-19 information line to help answer general questions and share the latest information and resources with Nebraskans to help keep them informed. The number is (402) 552-6645 or toll-free at (833) 998-2275; hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CDT, 7 days a week.