OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — On Wednesday, the Douglas County Health Department confirmed 464 new positive COVID-19 tests have been received since midnight the previous day. In the same period, seven new death certificates were received for five men and two women. The deaths include four unvaccinated men: one in his 50s, one in his 60s, and two in their 70s, plus a vaccinated man over the age of 75. One of the women was in her 50s and was vaccinated. The other woman was in her 60s and unvaccinated.
The number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Douglas County during the pandemic has increased to 897.
The Omaha Metropolitan Health Care Coalition — which encompasses Douglas, Sarpy, Saunders, Dodge and Washington counties in Nebraska, plus hospitals in Council Bluffs and Missouri Valley, Iowa — releases updated COVID-19 case counts and hospital capacity report to the Douglas County Health Department on a near-daily basis.
According to the most recent local hospital report received Tuesday afternoon:
- Medical and surgical beds are at 86% occupancy with 197 staffed beds available.
- Adult ICU beds are occupied at a 92% rate with 23 staffed beds available.
- There are 273 individuals hospitalized who have been diagnosed with COVID-19, with
- 91 are receiving adult ICU-level care.
- Nine pediatric patients are confirmed among those hospitalized.
- Pediatric ICU beds are at 85% capacity with 19 beds available.
- There are three additional COVID-19 persons of interest (generally waiting for test results) to report, all are adult cases.
- Forty-three individuals who are confirmed or suspected of having COVID-19 are on ventilators.
The total number of positive cases reported since March of 2020 is 99,824.
There are 12 total COVID-19 cases in Douglas County that are confirmed to be the omicron variant.
The county health department told 3 News Now that it's hard to pinpoint the exact reasons for the rise in positive COVID-19 cases and that it's likely a combination factor. Large, indoor gatherings around the holidays do not help the situation, says health department spokesperson, Phil Rooney.
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