LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) – The Lincoln-Lancaster Health Department and health officials discussed COVID-19 cases in Lancaster County after the LLCHD Risk Dial increased to Orange.

The LLCHD reported 111 new cases on Tuesday, as well as one new death. The death was a male in his 60s who was unvaccinated. The COVID-19 positivity rate has increased from 3%, in the beginning of July, to 12% last week.

The LLCHD COVID-19 Risk dial increased back to orange (high risk of spread). The last time the COVID-19 Risk Dial was in the orange was in February.

The LLCHD will not be implementing a Directed Health Measure at this time.

From July 1 to August 15, average daily hospitalizations have increased from 14.4 to 70.6.

As of Aug. 17, there are 83 people in Lincoln hospitals with COVID-19 and 60 of those are Lancaster County residents. Around 12 individuals are currently on ventilators.

“As the Delta Variant continues to be more prevalent, we’re finding about 25% of new cases are in those who are fully vaccinated,” said Health Director Pat Lopez. “As we’ve been reminding you, COVID-19 vaccines continue to be our best defense. The vaccines continue to provide a high level of protection against severe illness, hospitalization and death. Most of the vaccinated individuals who contract COVID-19 have are reporting mild symptoms. And some have no symptoms at all. Despite these breakthrough cases, Delta continues to show the risk of contracting COVID is still much higher for those who are unvaccinated. The case rate in the unvaccinated population is almost four times the case rate than the vaccinated population. The bottom line is you’re more protected with the vaccination than without it.”

Since March 1, there have been 30 deaths related to COVID-19. Six of those individuals were vaccinated.

The health director also noted that the level of infected individuals in the hospital was affecting services for non-infected individuals.

“Right before I came down here, one of the health directors from another district called me and they had had a serious car accident in their area last evening,” said Dir. Lopez. “And there was no place to send those car accident victims. We weren’t able to absorb them into Lincoln into the hospital anywhere. And that’s what we’re actually seeing now, that people are being held in the emergency room, we’re trying to get people in.”

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