Dr. Pour says mask mandate may come next week

Dr. Pour says mask mandate may come next week

CORONAVIRUS INNEBRASKA TONIGHT.THE NUMBER OFNEBRASKANS INFECTEDSITS AT MORE THAN 23-THOUSAND 500.THERE ARE 9-THOUSAND-226CONFIRMED CASES AND122 DEATHS IN DOUGLASCOUNTY.CLOSE TO 6-THOUSANDDOUGLAS COUNTYRESIDENTS HAVERECOVERED.AS OF THIS MORNING,METRO AREA HOSPITALSHAD 214 MEDICAL ANDSURGICAL BEDSAVAILABLE FOR AN 84PERCENT OCCUPANCYRATE.THERE WERE 79PATIENTS HOSPITALIZEDWITH COVID-19.THIS IS THE HIGHESTHOSPITAL CAPACITY RATETHE COUNTY HAS HADSINCE THE PANDEMICBEGAN.JUST THIS WEEK THECITY OF LINCOLN ISSUEDA MASK MANDATE...REQUIRING FACECOVERINGS INSIDEPUBLIC BUILDINGS.WHILE GOVERNORRICKETTS IS PURSUINGLEGAL OPTIONS - THEDOUGLAS COUNTYHEALTH DIRECTOR SAYSA MANDATE COULD BECOMING TO OMAHASOON.REPORTER JON KIPPERIS OUTSIDE CITY HALLAND TELLS US WHAT WASDISCUSSED REGARDINGMASKS TODAY.JENNY, JUST A FEW DAYSAGO - MAYOR JEANSTOTHERT SAID SHEDOESN'T HAVE THEAUTHORITY TO ISSUE AMANDATE...SAYING ONLYTHE HEALTH DIRECTOROR GOVERNOR RICKETTSCOULD ISSUE ONE.WELL THE GOVERNORHAS NO INTEREST INIT..BUT HEALTHDIRECTOR DOCTOR ADIPOUR SAYS A MASKMANDATE COULD BECOMING AS SOON ASNEXT WEEK.14.15.48 "I THINK IT ISTIME RIGHT NOW."POURDOUGLAS COUNTYHEALTH DIRECTOR SAYSDUE TO RISING NUMBERSOF COVID CASES IN THECOUNTY.SHE BELIEVESTHE DATA SUPPORTSREQUIRING MASKS WHENRESIDENTS ARE OUT INPUBLIC.14.15.50 "BECAUSE WHATYOU ARE DOING INPUBLIC HEALTH, YOU'REABOUT PREVENTION ANDI DON'T WANT TO BE ATTHE PEAK OF THEMOUNTAIN."POURTHE LEGALITIES OF THEMANDATE GETCOMPLICATED.MAYOR STOTHERT SAYSPOUR HAS THE POWERTO ISSUE A MANDATENOW FOR THE CITY OFOMAHA..BUT NOTNECESSARILY OTHERCITIES IN THE COUNTYLIKE BENNINGTON,VALLEY AND WATERLOO.14.33.04 "IT'S NOT JUST ADECISION THAT I MAKE,THIS IS A DECISION WE ASA COMMUNITY SHOULDMAKE, THERE ARE OTHERSTAKEHOLDERS IN THISCOMMUNITY THAT IWOULD LIKE TO SEE,WHERE ARE THEYSTANDING ON THIS."POURTHERE'S ALSO THEMATTER OF WHATGOVERNOR RICKETTSMIGHT DO.HE HAS SAID THAT HEDOESN'T WANT THEHEAVY HAND OFGOVERNMENT WHENNEBRASKANS DO THERIGHT THING...HE'SCURRENTLY EXPLORINGLEGAL OPTIONS TO STOPLINCOLN'S MANDATE.POUR SAYS THEDECISION IS BASED ONPUBLIC HEALTH.14.17.15 ""FOR ME IT'S APUBLIC HEALTHDECISION, PEOPLE MAKEDECISIONS DEPENDINGON THE POSITIONS THEYARE IN.I DON'T MAKE POLITICALPOSITIONS, I ONLY MAKEPUBLIC HEALTHDECISIONS."POURMAYOR JEAN STOTHERTSEEMS CONFLICTED ONTHE ISSUE.SHE'S ASKING ALL OMAHARESIDENTS TO WEAR AMASK IN PUBLIC ANDTHAT SHE TRUST'SPOUR'S EXPERTISE...BUTSHE'S CONCERNED THATOMAHA POLICE WILLHAVE TO ENFORCE IT.14.19.09 "THAT IS A FACT,WE CAN'T JUST SAYWE'RE GOING TO HAVEAN ORDER OR AMANDATE AND NOTENFORCE IT."STOTHERTSO MIGHT A MANDATE BENEEDED NOW?

POURPOINTS TO HOSPITALOCCUPANCY RATE...ANDHOW IT'S STEADILY RISENSINCE MARCH...CURRENTLY AT 84PERCENT.GRAPHIC14.35.32 "ALSO KNOWTHAT THE HOSPITAL DATAIS GOING TO BE BEHIND,SO WHAT WE ARE SEEINGTODAY, THE CASES THATWE ARE SEEING TODAY,THOSE INDIVIDUALS WILLBE IN THE HOSPITALTHREE WEEKS FROMNOW."POURA FEW OTHER NOTESFROM THE PRESSER -BE IN THE HOSPITALTHREE WEEKS FROMNOW."POURA FEW OTHER NOTESFROM THE PRESSER -DOCTOR POUR SAYS ATTHE BEGINNING OF THEPANDEMIC, MOST OF THECASES CAME FROMMINORITIES...NOW THE MAJORITY OFCASES ARE COMINGWHITE RESIDENTS IN THEWESTERN PART OF THECOUNTY.SHE'S ALSO SEEINGMORE CASES COMINGFROM YOUNG CHILDREN.AND FINALLY ON TOP OFALL THAT, THERE SEEMSTO BE A SHORTAGE OFTESTING SUPPLIES THATIS HURTING PRIVATELABS FROM DOINGCOVID-19 TESTS.JON KIPPER 3NNMOST AREA SCHOOLSARE JUST WEEKS AWAYFRO