OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — With more than 700 new cases of COVID-19 in Douglas County, the Health Department wants you to take every precaution to protect yourself.
SEE MORE: High COVID-19 case count in Douglas County along with flu and RSV creates hospital capacity concerns
After Douglas County Health Department's Phil Rooney was exposed to coronavirus over the holidays, 3 News Now joined him as he got tested for it.
"The numbers are again trending to be very high, that would be the biggest total probably in about a year," Rooney said.
Despite getting vaccinated and boosted, he's still taking this seriously.
"I've been wearing a mask and getting tested on the fifth day; hopefully it will turn out to be negative and at least I've been vaccinated, so I anticipate if I am sick it will be a mild case of the disease," Rooney said.
Rooney feels no symptoms, but since there's an incubation period he waited a few days to get tested.
"They'll go up there, they'll do the nasal swab and then send it off to the lab," Rooney said.
With a highly contagious new variant circulating, Rooney is warning to stay vigilant.
"With holidays like New Year's Eve where people are going to be loosening up, having fun, it would be very easy to relax in the precautions that we take and we want people to avoid doing that," Rooney said.
He not only practices what he teaches he also makes a plea for others to do the same.
"It wouldn't hurt to be checked after the holidays, a few days, to make sure you didn't catch the disease because the ample opportunity is out there," Rooney said.
Rooney also says: the COVID vaccine is about 90% effective at keeping people out of hospitals.
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