Another Nebraska prisons staffer positive for COVID-19

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Another Nebraska state prisons employee has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, officials said.

A news release from the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said the staffer is employed at the Lincoln Correctional Center and is self-isolating at home.

The department said it will notify those who work and live in the Lincoln facility. Officials ask that anyone who may have had close contact with the staff member to self-quarantine until they are cleared by a medical provider.

The latest case brings to 21 the number of state prisons staffers who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Twenty have since recovered, the department said.

On Sunday, Nebraska reported 167 new coronavirus cases, bringing the state’s total to 19,827 cases since the outbreak began. The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus in Nebraska remained at 284.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms 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.