City officials hinted earlier today at the daily news update when they plan to begin lifting restrictions on social distancing that are set to expire on May 6.
“As Doctor Faucci put it, ‘We don’t decide the timeline, the virus decides the timeline,” Leirion Gaylor Baird, Lincoln’s mayor said. ” In other words, our local health department will rely on our local data that make decisions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and keep us all safe.”
Officials will analyze data through case rates, strength of the local health care system and the public health lab capacity.
“What this means is that they need to see a declining number of daily cases over at least a two week period. They need to feel confident our health care system has enough beds, enough ventilators and enough staff to manage COVID-19 cases and future potential outbreaks.”
Other data they’re looking at includes the amount of tests being done, positivity rate and the number of new cases.
The most up-to-date and accurate information regarding this data can be found on the city’s COVID-19 dashboard.
Pat Lopez, interim director for the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, says Lincoln is facing a critical time.
“All week our numbers have been rising,” she said. “We know that between today and tomorrow we are going to have 300 tests done related to some of the outbreak in the Crete area.”
She added many residents commute to the plant from Lincoln.
As for a timeline when this all may be possible, Lopez said “it’s day-to-day.”