LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) – A Buffalo County man has died of COVID-19 – the fourth confirmed coronavirus death of a Nebraska resident, the state said.
The man was in his 90s, the Nebraska Health and Human Services Department said in a news release Tuesday night. The department also reported that the total number of confirmed Nebraska cases had risen to 177. More than 3,000 people have tested negative.
The third Nebraska COVID-19 death was that of a Lincoln County man in his 90s who had underlying health conditions, the department said Monday.
For most people, COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia.
Earlier Tuesday, Gov. Pete Ricketts issued an executive order to loosen restrictions on hospitals and other health care facilities so that they can respond to a possible surge in patients suffering from COVID-19.
Ricketts also imposed tougher social distancing rules on Adams, Clay, Nuckolls and Webster counties in southern Nebraska, bringing the statewide total of such county orders to 34. The orders require restaurants and bars to close their dining areas and only offer takeout or delivery.
In counties that aren’t affected, those businesses may keep their dining areas open but can’t have more than 10 people inside at once. The restrictions are designed to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.
___
Follow AP coverage of the virus outbreak at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak
