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COVID-19 cases in Nebraska are down nearly 17% over the past week, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
As of last Thursday, the 7-day average of cases stood at 670. A week prior, the average was just over 800. In the last few weeks, cases in Nebraska have bounced around between the 600's and 800's – and it appears cases have now plateaued.
The largest COVID transmission lies in mostly rural counties scattered across the state, according to the state’s dashboard. The statewide case rate stands at 435. Five counties – Box Butte, Frontier, McPherson, Valley and Wheeler – all have case rates above 1,000.
As for hospitalizations, they, too, saw a favorable dip last week. At the latest check, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services tallied 407 occupied beds last Thursday, which is about 10.5% of the state’s capacity. A few days prior, nearly 450 beds were filled.
The greatest shortage in hospital beds remains in pediatric ICUs; however, there are currently no COVID occupancies, according to the dashboard. Of the 152 available pediatric ICUs, 126 are occupied for non-COVID illnesses, leaving only 26 unoccupied.
More than 2,600 Nebraskans get vaccinated each day. In all, 66.5% of the population 12 and older is fully inoculated, and another 5% is partially protected.