Coronavirus Precautionary Measures
Launch the media gallery 1 playerVoluntary Quarantine Requested of Special Olympics Basketball Tournament Participants
to Prevent Potential Spread for Coronavirus Disease 2019
Lincoln – Out of an abundance of caution and as a result of initial contact investigation
results of the first Nebraskan with a presumptive positive case of Coronavirus
(COVID-19), The Three Rivers Public Health Department, Douglas County Health Department,
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, and other local health departments, and the
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) are investigating possible
exposure to a presumptive positive case of coronavirus disease 2019.
State and local health officials are requesting for basketball players, coaches and team staff
who participated in the Special Olympics event at the Fremont Family YMCA on February 29,
2020 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to self-quarantine to limit exposure to others and monitor
themselves for development of COVID-19 symptoms as listed below until Saturday, March 14,
2020. The Fremont Family YMCA is located at 810 N Lincoln Ave, Fremont, NE 68025.
“We’re asking for basketball players, coaches, and team staff who participated this event on
February 29, 2020 to either self-report to the Nebraska public health online system
at http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx or contact their local health department for
guidance and next steps. Informing the local health department is the most direct way to ensure
timely medical care if needed and to minimize the potential risk to others.” said Dr. Gary
Anthone, Chief Medical Officer and Director of Public Health for DHHS.
Symptoms of COVID-19 can appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. The most common
symptoms reported are:
Fever of greater than 100.4F
Cough
Shortness of breath or difficult breathing
Spectators of the Special Olympics events and other people who were in the YMCA facility that
same day are at much lower risk than the direct participants. Non-participating individuals can
self-monitor and contact a local health department or their health care provider if they develop
symptoms.
Evidence to date suggests that this virus doesn’t stay in the environment for an extended period
of time. Without ongoing contamination from ill people, the facility where the event was held isn’t
a risk for ongoing exposure. It is recommended to avoid large group gatherings and events to
practice social distancing. If you develop symptoms, please contact Three Rivers Public Health
Department at 402-727-5396. “Our dedicated team is ready to guide our communities that we
serve, our response plans are robust and we are prepared to provide education and guidance,”
said Three Rivers Public Health Department, Executive Director, Terra Uhing.
Currently there is not a vaccine or an antiviral (medicine) to protect against COVID-19. Most
people with mild illness will recover on their own by drinking plenty of fluids, resting, and taking
pain and fever reducing medications to relieve symptoms while isolating to prevent spread to
others. However, people can develop pneumonia and require medical care or hospitalization.
People can help protect themselves from COVID-19 and other respiratory infections by:
Avoiding close contact with sick people and stay home if you are sick.
Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water
aren't available, use an alcohol-based sanitizer.
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze then throw the
tissue in the trash.
Cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.
State and local public health officials continue to take action to prevent the spread of disease
and protect the health of Nebraskans including:
Sharing the latest guidance and information with local health departments, hospitals,
health care providers, first responders and local and state labs through our extensive
Health Alert Network to ensure a well-coordinated response in Nebraska. DHHS Health
Alert Network - http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Health-Alert-Network.aspx.
Assessing our health care system's readiness to identify, monitor and treat patients with
coronavirus disease 2019.
Engaging in active and ongoing communication with the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention and other state and federal partners as part of the overall national response
to this emerging public health threat.
Reviewing and enhancing response plans to be ready for the detection of COVID-19 in
our state.
Facilitating confirmatory testing, isolation and monitoring of Nebraskans experiencing
symptoms to identify cases as soon as possible.
Updating dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus with the latest information and resources.
With our local health department partners, we have a system in place to track and
monitor people who have contact with a confirmed case in an effort to immediately
detect secondary cases and minimize the potential for ongoing, undetected,
person-to-person transmission.
Nebraskans are also encouraged to review their family preparedness plans in the event that
coronavirus disease 2019 continues to spread in the United States. More resources will be
available soon at http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus.
We will continue to update Nebraskans through our website http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus
and on Facebook and Twitter as we have new information. The CDC’s website is also a good
resource for COVID-19 information - https://www.cdc.gov/covid19.
Follow DHHS on Facebook and Twitter to learn more about the health of Nebraskans.