Metro Omaha Hospitals at 77 Percent Occupancy

What a local expert said about COVID-19 trends in the area.

BUT SIMILAR TO WHATWE SAW THE REST OFLAST WEEK.REPORTER PHILBERGMAN TALKED TO ANINFECTIOUS DISEASESPECIALIST TO LEARNMORE ABOUT THETRENDS WE'RE SEEING.OVER THE WEEKENDDOUGLAS COUNTY SAWITS LARGEST AMOUNT OFPOSITIVE CASES OFCOVID-19 IN NEARLY TWOWEEKS.ANY TIME WE START TOSEE A SPIKE, IT'SWORRISOME, TRY NOTTO OVERREACT TO JUSTONE OR TWO DAYS DATA.19.33.37 DOCTOR MARKRUPP WITH NEBRASKAMEDICINE SAYSDEPENDING ON THESOURCE OR THENUMBER OF TESTINGTHERE MAY BE SPIKEFROM TIME TO TIME.HE SAYS IT'S IMPORTANTTO LOOK AT WEEKLYTRENDS AND SEE IFTHAT'S GOING UP.RIGHT NOW WE'RESTABLE.AGAIN IF WE'RE NOTCAREFUL WE COULD SEETHESE GO BACK UP.19.34.10 THEPERCENTAGE OFPOSITIVE TESTS INDOUGLAS COUNTY HASBEEN STABLE BETWEENSEVEN TO EIGHTPERCENTWHILEHOSPITALIZATIONS HAVERISEN OVER THE PASTTHREE MONTHS,ACCORDING TO DATATRACKED BY THE 3 NEWSNOW INVESTIGATIVETEAM, METRO OMAHAHOSPITAL OCCUPANCYRATES HAVE STAYEDBETWEEN 72 TO 80-PERCENT SINCE JUNENINTH.WE'RE GETTING CLOSEAND THAT IS ALSOHAVING ME CONCERNEDBECAUSE IF WE SEE ANUPSWING IN THECOMMUNITY WE HAVELESS CAPACITY TO TAKECARE OF PEOPLE.19.35.16 DOCTOR RUPPSAYS THE HIGHOCCUPANCY LEVELSAREN'T ONLY DUE TOCOVID-19 BUT BECAUSEOF OTHER ELECTIVEMEDICAL PROCEDURESTHAT ARE TAKING PLACE.THOSE ELECTIVEPROCEDURES CAN ONLYSTAY ELECTIVE FOR SOLONG BEFORE THEYBECOME URGENT.OUR EMERGENCYDEPARTMENT VISITSHAVE COME BACK UP,CLINIC VISITS HAVE COMEBACK UP.19.35.56 AND AS CASESCONTINUE TOSKYROCKET IN STATESSUCH AS FLORIDA ANDTEXAS, DOCTOR RUPPSAYS WE SHOULD USETHOSE STATES AS AWARNING BELL INNEBRASKA AT WHATHAPPENS IF WE RELAXTOO QUICKLY.I HOPE THE PUBLICCONTINUES TO NOT BECOMPLACENT AND TAKETHIS SERIOUSLYBECAUSE WE CAN STILLPUT THIS SIDEWAYS INTHE DITCH IF WE'RE NOTCAREFUL.19.29.07 REPORTING INOMAHA, PHIL BERGMAN, 3NEWS NOW.DOCTOR RUPPREITERATED THEIMPORTANCE OF SOCIALDISTANCING ANDWEARING A MASK.HE SAID GATHERINGSWITHOUT SOCIALDISTANCING COULD LEADTO AN UPSWING INCASES.