Nebraska reports 8,234 coronavirus cases, 4 new deaths

Health officials say the number of coronavirus cases in Nebraska has topped 8,000, and four more deaths related to COVID-19 have been reported.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services said the number of coronavirus cases in the state increased by 403 on Saturday to 8,234. The number of deaths related to the virus outbreak increased to 96. The actual number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without feeling sick.

One of the new deaths was a Douglas County man in his 60s who did not have any underlying health conditions. Details of the other three deaths weren’t immediately available.

For some infected people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

State officials also said that a staff member at the Nebraska Correctional Services Department’s Staff Training Academy has tested positive for the coronavirus. To date, eight Corrections employees, including six who work at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln, have tested positive.

Department Director Scott Frakes said three inmates at the state prison are being tested and have bee segregated from other inmates because they had close contact with a staff member who tested positive for the virus. These three tests are the first administered to state inmates.