COVID-19

Inmates Earn $1.15 Per Hour Producing COVID-19 Supplies

Published by Scott Stewart on Thu, 05/28/2020 - 3:00am

Iowa City, Iowa – One of Iowa’s most reliable sources of personal protective equipment to fight the coronavirus has been a statewide prison labor program that can pay inmates as little as 58 cents per hour.

Prisoners across the state have helped make 98,000 masks, 40,000 gowns, 17,000 face shields and 24,000 gallons of hand sanitizer in recent weeks, the Iowa Department of Corrections says.

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Schools Preparing for Fall Amid Pandemic Uncertainty

Published by Scott Stewart on Thu, 05/28/2020 - 1:00am

Nebraska schools are preparing for a range of possibilities for the next academic year as the coronavirus pandemic continues to claim lives and disrupt daily life.

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State Economy Stays Relatively Strong, But Still Was Devastated Amid Pandemic

Published by Scott Stewart on Thu, 05/28/2020 - 12:00am

Nebraska’s economy has been devastated by the coronavirus outbreak and unemployment has surged, but the state has fared better than most of the rest of the nation.

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Omaha Chamber Announces Guidebook for Reopening

Published by Scott Stewart on Tue, 05/26/2020 - 5:00am

Businesses faced with the difficult decisions of when and how to reopen to the public can now refer to a new framework from the Greater Omaha Chamber to guide them.

The Thrive 2020 initiative is a phased plan for economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic that relies on a model from the University of Nebraska Medical Center to determine when to return to a new normal.

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Nebraska to Loosen More Coronavirus Restrictions in June

Published by Scott Stewart on Tue, 05/26/2020 - 4:00am

Nebraska will let bars, zoos, movie theaters and swimming pools reopen and allow small concerts and auctions to resume on June 1 in all but four hard-hit counties, Gov. Pete Ricketts said last week as the number of coronavirus deaths continued to rise.

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Iowa Lets Movie Theaters, Museums, Bars to Reopen

Published by Scott Stewart on Tue, 05/26/2020 - 3:00am

Des Moines, Iowa – Gov. Kim Reynolds announced that Iowa movie theaters, museums, zoos and wedding reception venues could reopen last Friday, despite the hundreds of new COVID-19 cases being confirmed each day.

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Coronavirus May Mean Fewer International Students

Published by Scott Stewart on Tue, 05/26/2020 - 1:00am

International students bring a wealth of diversity and a healthy chunk of money to many American colleges and universities.

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Iowa Expands Coronavirus Testing to Anyone, Without Restrictions

Published by Scott Stewart on Fri, 05/22/2020 - 2:18pm

Des Moines, Iowa – All Iowa residents who believe they need a coronavirus test can now get one, Gov. Kim Reynolds said last Thursday, a day after she announced that more businesses and meeting places could reopen.

Reynolds said the expanded testing is especially important as more Iowans return to work. Iowans who want a test must fill out an assessment at the TestIowa website.

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Ricketts Still Pleased With Test Program Despite Delay

Published by Scott Stewart on Fri, 05/22/2020 - 2:18pm

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said last week he’s “very pleased” with a coronavirus testing program established by out-of-state contractors, despite uncertainty that it will meet a goal of 3,000 tests per day by the month’s end.

Nebraska announced the $27 million, no-bid contract with Utah-based Nomi Health and other firms on April 21. They hoped to hit the testing target within five weeks.

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Husker Researcher Develops Contact Tracing Technology

Published by Scott Stewart on Fri, 05/22/2020 - 2:07pm

Lincoln – How does society establish a new normal during a pandemic?

A key approach involves contact tracing, in which public health officials alert anyone potentially exposed to a newly diagnosed patient within the past 14 days, the incubation period for COVID-19.