It's been something of a week. Or two. Or three. Frankly, I've lost track. Time has certainly dilated since #COVID19 arrived in Nebraska. I want to remind everyone they can view the Journal Star's #coronavirus coverage for free.
The first time coronavirus was mentioned in our pages was Jan. 27 when @editorontherun wrote: "The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said it was monitoring 110 people in 26 states on Monday for the coronavirus. None of those cases are in Nebraska."
journalstar.com/news/state-and…
journalstar.com/news/state-and…
A few days later, on Feb. 3, the University of Nebraska announced it was suspending all university-sponsored travel to China, where the coronavirus outbreak began last year. There were 11 cases in the U.S. at the time:
journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
The next day (Feb. 4, also my b-day, which feels like 4 years ago now now), Camp Ashland was identified as a potential quarantine site for pandemic refugees repatriating to the U.S., as @LJSdon wrote: journalstar.com/news/state-and…
On Feb. 5, @LJSRileyJohnson noted Americans living in China were, in fact, en route to a 14-day quarantine at the National Guard training center northeast of Lincoln. journalstar.com/news/state-and…
Local, state and federal officials updated reporters on Feb. 6 as the plane, with about 60 people ranging in age from infancy to about 70yo, was closing in on Omaha's Eppley Airfield: journalstar.com/news/local/pla…
Things on the coronavirus beat got quiet for about a week (remember what that was like) until one woman quarantined at Camp Ashland was transported to UNMC's Biocontainment Center after getting sick. journalstar.com/news/state-and…
She ended up being OK.
journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
Then, the passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship anchored off the coast of Japan started returning to the U.S. for quarantine on Feb. 17. UNMC's quarantine and biocontainment centers became hot destinations: journalstar.com/news/state-and…
Meanwhile, the quarantine for those at Ashland came to an end, as @TheRealCLK wrote about here, describing the "heart-shaped haikus" the quarantined wrote for their caretakers: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
On Feb. 20, the CDC returned the test results of the former passengers on the Diamond Princess -- 11 of 13 had #COVID19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. journalstar.com/news/local/cdc…
UNMC and Nebraska Medicine announced they were working to develop an anti-viral therapy to treat the coronavirus (which will be featured on '60 Minutes' Sunday evening). journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
As the virus turned into a deadly global outbreak, UNL recalled students living abroad in South Korea and Italy, adhering to a university policy enacted in 2018. journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
As the severity of the virus was being downplayed, UNMC's Dr. Mark Rupp told Lou Dobbs: "Infectious diseases don't respect political announcements or geographic borders." journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
With February coming to a close, and turbulence ahead, state officials highlighted growing concerns about the impact of the virus on future tax receipts, @LJSLegislature reported: journalstar.com/legislature/st…
That same day, @LincolnBizBuzz reported Bryan Health had tested patients locally for the coronavirus. Those tests, as well as a bunch more in coming days, came back negative: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
#LNK leaders told residents to start preparing for the inevitable arrival of the virus on March 2, according to this report from Riley Johnson, days before the first instance of a Nebraska with COVID-19 was discovered: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
NU suspended all out-of-country travel on March 5 as the coronavirus epidemic took hold in several places around the globe, causing the CDC to recommend study abroad trips be canceled: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
On March 6, health officials said they confirmed the first case of the disease in Nebraska. A 36yo woman who had traveled to the U.K. in February tested positive for the disease. journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
As the news rippled outward, life began to change, albeit slowly at first. @psangimino noted Lincoln's nursing homes were enacting measures to prevent local outbreaks among their communities: journalstar.com/news/local/lin…
The challenge of trying to track down everyone who may have come into contact with Nebraska's 1st case was daunting, as weekend editor Alex Lantz wrote about here: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
The first schools to close in the state were in Fremont, where the 1st case participated in a Special Olympics basketball tournament. Fremont schools, the parochials and Midland U all announced measures to prevent the spread on March 7: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
The Special Olympics also announced it was canceling events and suspending practices and other activities: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
Hospitals and clinics in the CHI Health system started directing potential coronavirus patients to a website for a pre-screen; measures they said could prevent the spread in their facilities: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
Two members of the woman's immediate family tested positive for COVID-19, bringing Nebraska's total number of confirmed cases to 3, health officials said March 8: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
Schools in Plattsmouth and Logan View announced they would also close. journalstar.com/news/state-and…
And more senior centers announced they would be closed off to outside visitors. This was March 9: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
While no new cases were announced for a few days, Nebraska and local officials continued their preparations. About 40 people were in quarantine in Lincoln on March 9: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
The Legislature raised the alarm March 9, too. Speaker Jim Scheer told lawmakers to start making plans if staff needed to work remotely. At that point, it didn't seem possible the unicameral would go on hiatus: journalstar.com/legislature/st…
Health insurance companies in NE announced they would start waiving the costs of COVID-19 tests after the costs of the tests elsewhere became prohibitive toward people getting them: journalstar.com/business/local…
.@KentWolgamott was ready to go on his annual excursion to SXSW before it was called off, a harbinger of things to come: journalstar.com/entertainment/…
The number of confirmed #COVID19 cases in Nebraska rose to 4 on March 10, JoAnne Young wrote. Lawmakers were briefed on the virus' progress here as well as the state's capability to treat patients: journalstar.com/legislature/ne…
LPS began its preparations in the event of a pandemic closure March 10 as well, @LJSreist reports here. An estimated 25% of LPS students don't have reliable internet access: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
District officials said March 11 they planned for schools to reopen following spring break on March 16.
That plan didn't last long, as we'll soon see: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
That plan didn't last long, as we'll soon see: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
A Crofton teenager who contracted coronavirus and visited a state basketball tournament was reportedly doing well on March 11.
Meanwhile, the number of cases in Nebraska rose to 10: journalstar.com/news/local/fat…
Meanwhile, the number of cases in Nebraska rose to 10: journalstar.com/news/local/fat…
Just to weigh the increasing seriousness, the virus started to impact Husker football, with the team canceling its recruiting day for juniors, @HuskerExtraPG wrote: journalstar.com/sports/huskers…
Margaret and Matt wrote about the decision by the NSAA to hold boys' state basketball tournament games without fans present: journalstar.com/sports/high-sc…
Which led to one of the best, most bizarre Twitter tirades I've ever come across on this cursed website.
https://twitter.com/ChrisDunkerLJS/status/1237801829867667456
Then, the Big Ten said it would limit fan access to the rest of its winter season contests, as well as the spring games on the horizon.
journalstar.com/sports/huskers…
journalstar.com/sports/huskers…
Sports Editor @LJSSportsGrell asked high school athletes, families and fans what it was like to not be able to watch games in person.
journalstar.com/sports/high-sc…
journalstar.com/sports/high-sc…
The lack of fans visiting Lincoln, staying in its hotels, visiting its bars and restaurants, due to the #coronavirus had an immediate impact on the local economy.
Hotel occupancy dropped from 98% last year to 40% this year.
journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
Hotel occupancy dropped from 98% last year to 40% this year.
journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
Fans of the Lincoln Stars bid farewell to the team's 2020 season on March 12. journalstar.com/sports/stars-h…
Following hundreds of other colleges and universities across the country, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced March 12 it would finish the spring semester online: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
Clark wrote about the heartbreak for Concordia's women's hoops team being unable to defend their NAIA Div. II national title when that tournament was called off: journalstar.com/sports/local/c…
CHER POSTPONED
journalstar.com/entertainment/…
journalstar.com/entertainment/…
The Legislature said it would limit who could come to the People's House as it tried to continue transacting state business on March 12. journalstar.com/legislature/le…
Boys' basketball fans tried to make lemonade out of lemons, gathering in theaters and hometown gyms to watch their teams compete. journalstar.com/sports/high-sc…
The Husker Wrestling team saw a path to a NCAA national championship, until a global pandemic got in the way: journalstar.com/sports/huskers…
Churches across #LNK and Nebraska started embracing new ways of conducting worship in the middle of Lent, as LJS Intern Sadiyah Ali explored in this March 12 article. journalstar.com/news/local/fir…
LPS officials started coming to a decision point late in their spring break, as Margaret Reist wrote here: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
In decisions that signaled just how big this event is, the Big Ten and NCAA announced college sports were done for the year: journalstar.com/sports/huskers…
Julie Koch, who is among the team of night editors who routinely save we reporters' asses, caught the news that Nebraska found its 11th case of coronavirus on March 12: journalstar.com/news/th-corona…
.@LJSSportsWagner with this tidbit:
"The sale of concessions to those allowed into the games will, at most, be a few thousand dollars. Past concession revenue from the boys' tournament has exceeded $200,000."
journalstar.com/sports/high-sc…
"The sale of concessions to those allowed into the games will, at most, be a few thousand dollars. Past concession revenue from the boys' tournament has exceeded $200,000."
journalstar.com/sports/high-sc…
Bryan Health announced it would start doing drive thru #COVID19 testing, Matt Olberding reported a little more than a week ago: journalstar.com/business/local…
Other colleges and universities in the area called off classes a week ago: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
State officials said March 13 they would look for "community spread" cases of the coronavirus before other events would be called off. journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
With college athletics called off for the year, @HuskerExtraCB reported the NCAA was exploring options to give those affected an extra season of eligibility: journalstar.com/sports/huskers…
Charter announced March 13 it would offer free internet to households with students who need to continue their studies this spring: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
Then, LPS and the local private schools called off classes and said students would learn from home. Comprehensive story from Margaret Reist: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
Nebraska's number of confirmed COVID-19 cases rose to 14 on March 13. The latest case then was a child whose parent had traveled to California and Nevada. Other family members also had the disease. A state of emergency was declared: journalstar.com/business/local…
Columnist Cindy Lange-Kubick reiterates the best health practices offered by professionals in the time of coronavirus in the way only she can: journalstar.com/news/local/cin…
The state of emergency declared by Gov. Ricketts led to a run on groceries and supplies -- mainly toilet paper, for some unknown reason -- the weekend of March 14-15. journalstar.com/business/local…
A week ago, NU President Ted Carter said university employees could get up to 80 hours of paid emergency leave should they need to quarantine or care for their children amid closures: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
.@LJSdon, who has covered nearly everything a person can cover over six decades, profiles Gov. Ricketts, who managed response to last year's flooding disaster before switching gears to manage state reaction to a pandemic: journalstar.com/news/state-and…
The state tournament went on, and even with few people in the stands, the nets were still cut down in celebration: journalstar.com/sports/high-sc…
With little in the way of sports to cover, ESPN highlighted several games on SportsCenter last weekend: journalstar.com/sports/high-sc…
City Editor @LJSToddHenrichs, working the weekend shift, noted March 15 Omaha was getting near the point where restrictions on public gatherings were looking like a reality: journalstar.com/news/state-and…
The list of cancellations jumped the weekend. On Monday, March 16, we learned the 2020 Lincoln Marathon had been called off. This from @JohnSchreierLJS: journalstar.com/news/local/lin…
Then the Legislature suspended its session: journalstar.com/legislature/le…
More patients who arrived at UNMC for quarantine in February were cleared to go home. The hospital also announced March 16 it had expanded its quarantine capabilities by 24 beds: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
Husker football suspended spring practice two days into its 15-day session: journalstar.com/sports/huskers…
So did Husker volleyball: journalstar.com/sports/huskers…
Parker, Chris and @HuskerExtraSip recapped the wild week in the Husker Extra Podcast: journalstar.com/sports/huskers…
State officials recommended Nebraska's 244 school districts close and start doing online education, Margaret reported. She also dove deeper into the preparation by LPS journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
The Lied Center canceled its events for the foreseeable future: journalstar.com/entertainment/…
The Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, in an effort to prevent an outbreak in the state's prison system, suspended visitations, JoAnne Young wrote: journalstar.com/news/state-and…
Although campus remains open, UNL said it would offer refunds to students who chose to leave their residence halls. Other campuses would soon follow suit: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
On Monday, Gov. Ricketts followed the CDC's lead and recommended gatherings, including at schools, businesses and churches, be limited to 10 people max. journalstar.com/news/state-and…
.@LincolnBizBuzz wrote about how downtown parking spaces were becoming designated for curbside delivery from local restaurants, as well as the latest updates on closings: journalstar.com/business/local…
Nebraska's total of confirmed coronavirus cases rose to 23 on March 17. New cases in Sarpy and Knox counties were discovered: journalstar.com/news/state-and…
UNL said it had reconfigured an old residence hall to serve as a quarantine site, should the need arise: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
It's harder to get a flight into Nebraska, as airlines have pulled back on the destinations they serve amid declining passengers: journalstar.com/business/local…
The run on toilet paper created something of a black market, with vandals and thieves obtaining supplies by stealing them from interstate rest areas: journalstar.com/news/state-and…
Fewer drivers (and a global price war) has helped gas prices plummet to their lowest prices in years: journalstar.com/business/local…
Groups that have been pushing Medicaid Expansion say the successful ballot measure could have helped Nebraska better weather the pandemic. The governor's office says that criticism is political: journalstar.com/news/local/app…
Child care facilities sought guidance on what the 10 person limit meant for their businesses. Some have begun scaling down their operations: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
High school coaches lament a lost season: journalstar.com/sports/high-sc…
City and election officials are looking for ways to limit the number of people heading to the polls on Election Day in order to stem further transmission: journalstar.com/news/local/gov…
.@LJSpilger recounts how she came to be tested for the coronavirus. Luckily, she just had pneumonia: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
A western Nebraska man became the state's 24th case on March 18. The Lincoln County case stemmed from a recent cruise: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
The second instance of a community transmission means further restrictions on bars and restaurants in Omaha, Don Walton wrote on March 18: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
The state epidemiologist gave @LJSPeterSalter a grim prognosis on the number of cases going up in Nebraska in coming weeks: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
University employees were directed to start working at home by NU's Carter. journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
Riley Johnson spent a day going around #LNK to see what life was like under social distancing. Eerie stuff all around: journalstar.com/news/local/lin…
It's not easy turning the Titanic -- or a school district with 40,000+ students -- on a dime, Margaret Reist found: journalstar.com/news/local/edu…
The list of closings and cancellations continues to grow and grow and grow: journalstar.com/news/local/upd…
Speaker Jim Scheer told Don Walton March 19 the Legislature could finish the 60-day session somewhere other than the state Capitol: journalstar.com/legislature/sc…
A group of advocates tell the state's chief justice and court administrator on March 19 to come up with a plan if one of the juveniles in youth detention develops coronavirus: journalstar.com/news/state-and…
Businesses tell how they are adapting to life under the new public health guidelines: journalstar.com/news/local/lin…
City and local health officials urge anyone who has traveled to another country or even certain places in the U.S. to quarantine until they are sure they don't have COVID19: journalstar.com/news/local/gov…
This is a great service for our readers -- where you can get curbside, carryout and delivery food options in #LNK. It's important to keep supporting those businesses now more than ever: journalstar.com/entertainment/…
Civil trials at Lancaster County District Court have been suspended while courts make rules that those who want to come into courtrooms must show a negative test: journalstar.com/news/local/cri…
The 30th and 31st confirmed cases of COVID19 were announced March 19 -- a 60-something man from Nemaha County and a 40-something man from Sarpy County: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
A lack of reagents used in COVID-19 identification tests is creating another kind of crisis, the state public health lab told me on Thursday: journalstar.com/news/local/lac…
No more elective surgeries or non-essential procedures, Lincoln's hospitals said Friday, as it's all hands on deck for the pandemic response: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
The Legislature announced March 20 it will reconvene on Monday to pass a coronavirus relief package, clearing the way for Ricketts' signature: journalstar.com/news/state-and…
Nebraska Medicine says amidst a shortage of personal protective equipment, it had created a new procedure to sanitize those items for reuse: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
State workers tell JoAnne Young they don't feel like they've been afforded the same opportunity to protect themselves as those who can work remotely: journalstar.com/news/state-and…
Economists say the state needs an "economic vaccine" to prevent against a strong downturn amid the pandemic: journalstar.com/business/local…
And finally, on March 20, Lincoln reported its first confirmed case of coronavirus. Across the state, there were 38 cases: journalstar.com/lifestyles/hea…
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