Nebraska jobless claims soar with rise in virus numbers
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska’s initial claims for unemployment benefits skyrocketed with the rest of the nation’s last week amid the coronavirus pandemic, rising to nearly 16,000 from a little less than 800 the week before, according to a federal report released Thursday.
Nationally, 3.3 million people in the U.S. filed unemployment claims in the week ending March 21, compared with 282,000 the week before.
“Nearly every state providing comments cited the COVID-19 virus impacts,” the U.S. Labor Department report said. “States continued to cite services industries broadly, particularly accommodation and food services.”
The dire financial news came as two more cases of the COVID-19 virus were confirmed in Nebraska, bringing the state total to 68, state officials said.
Public health workers announced that a health care worker is believed to be the source of an outbreak at a Blair assisted living facility. The worker is the third person tied to Carter Place to have tested positive for the virus, said Terra Uhing, executive director of the Three Rivers Public Health Department.
Two residents have also tested positive: a woman in her 90s who had been self-isolating in her room and a man in his 70s who had been hospitalized. Uhing said another Carter Place resident is symptomatic and has been examined at a health care facility.
The Legislature and Gov. Pete Ricketts have approved an $83.6 million emergency relief package that will provide money for additional medical and cleaning supplies, tests, and overtime for state health care workers.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, or death.
The governor also added Lancaster, Dodge and Saunders counties to the list of places where restaurants and bars will have to close their dining rooms because of the health risk. Similar restrictions were already in place for Douglas, Sarpy, Cass and Washington counties. Combined, all of those counties account for more than 1.1 million people and well over half of the state’s population.
