Lincoln Will Let Last Directed Health Measure Expire Friday

Lincoln and Lancaster County will let their last pandemic-related directed health measure expire at midnight on Friday, the latest milestone in a rapid return to normal.

The expiring directed health measure means there will be no conditions related to gatherings, regardless of size or location and no event plans will be required for events with more than 500 people. In addition, K-12 extracurricular activities will no longer be required to submit an activity plan. Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Director Pat Lopez said Wednesday that the declining COVID numbers are the reason they feel comfortable letting the DHM expire.

“Our positivity rate has decreased to below 3% for the past three weeks,” Lopez said. “The 7-day rolling average of new weekly cases shows a significant drop from 36 cases per day at the beginning of May to just five per day now.”

63% of the Lincoln and Lancaster County population 16 years and older have been at least partially vaccinated, the highest vaccination rate in the state. Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said she’d like to improve on that number.

“If you still have not received the safe and highly-effective vaccines available, please do so now,” she said. “We still have plenty of opportunities for folks to get vaccinated and this is the single most important and effective step that you can take to protect yourself, your loved ones and your neighbors.”

It was about a month ago Lincoln lifted its mask mandate. The current directed health measure expires at midnight on Friday.