Listen To This Story
COVID-19 cases statewide are rising to levels seen just before and after the state’s biggest peak last year. More than 1,000 Nebraskans test positive each day, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The last time Nebraska saw a 7-day average above 1,000 was late October 2020 and early January 2021. Over the last two weeks, cases are up nearly 23% according to the CDC, which comes after a week of slowly decreasing case numbers.
Hospitalizations are also on the rise. As of Tuesday, 574 Nebraskans were hospitalized with COVID, according to the state's COVID dashboard. The figure on Monday – 576 – was the highest figure in 2021.
Both COVID cases and hospitalizations are not what they were at the pandemic’s height last year. Despite that, hospitals remain packed: 13% of adult ICUs are currently available. That number has been as low as single digits in the last weeks and months. During the peak last year, ICUs never got below 20%.
Vaccinations have almost been available for a year in Nebraska. Since then, 63.14% of Nebraskans older than 5-years old have gotten vaccinated, and another 6.43% are partially immunized.