>> THIS IS BREAKING NEWS FROM KETV NEWSWATCH 7 AND KETV.COM. GOOD MORNING. GOVERNOR RICKETTS IS GETTING HIS DAILY BRIEFING ON THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. LET’S LISTEN IN. GOV. RICKETTS: WE STILL WANT PEOPLE TO FOLLOW OUR OTHER GUIDELINES OR FOLLOW THE NEW GUIDELINE. FOR EXAMPLE, STILL A GOOD IDEA TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TRIPS FROM YOUR HOUSEHOLD. WE WANT TO DO WORK IN A SOCIALLY DISTANT WAY. KEEP THAT SIX FEET OF DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND OTHER PEOPLE. MONDAY, THE 25% RULE, 10% RULE THIS WEEKEND. CONTINUE TO RESPECT THOSE. WHEN YOU GO OUT SHOPPING, STILL A GOOD IDEA TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OF TIMES YOU ARE SHOPPING INTO IT BY YOURSELF, DON’T TAKE THE WHOLE FAMILY, AND WEAR A MASK WHEN YOU GO OUT SHOPPING. PLEASE HELP KIDS SOCIALLY DISTANCE BY PLAYING THOSE NONCONTACT SPORTS OR LIMITING CONTACT SPORTS. YOU CAN HELP SENIORS BY STOPPING FOR THEM, BUT DON’T GO VISIT IN A LONG-TERM CARE FACILITY AND EXERCISE IN AN APPROPRIATELY SOCIALLY DISTANCE WAY, BUT EXERCISE DAILY, ALL GOOD STUFF. WE WANT PEOPLE TO REMEMBER THESE RULES AS WE GO INTO JUNE BECAUSE AS WE LOOSEN RESTRICTIONS, THE WAY THIS WILL WORK IS CONTINUING TO FOLLOW THOSE OTHER RULES SO WE DON’T ALLOW THE VIRUS TO SPREAD IN NEBRASKA. WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PRESERVE OUR HOSPITAL CAPACITY, THAT MEANS WE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE RULES WITH REGARD TO SOCIAL DISTANCING, SIX FEET, ALL THAT STUFF. PLEASE CONTINUE TO DO THAT. WITH REGARD TO HOSPITAL DATA, WE STILL HAVE HOSPITAL BEDS, 41 PERCENT CAPACITY, 42% CAPACITY FOR ICUS, NOW 79% CAPACITY FOR VENTILATORS. WE STILL HAVE ROBUST CAPACITY IN NEBRASKA. ALL THOSE RESOURCES WE HAVE DONE UP TO THIS STATE HAVE WORKED TO PRESERVE OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM. I WANT TO THANK NEBRASKANS, PLEASE CONTINUE TO DO THAT, VOLUNTARY COMPLIANCE MAKES A DIFFERENCE IN US BEING ABLE TO PRESERVE OUR HOSPITAL SYSTEM SO EVERYBODY WHO NEEDS THAT BET CAN GET THAT BED CAN GET THAT BAD WHEN THEY NEED IT. TESTING SCHEDULE FOR NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BE IN ALLIANCE, SCOTTS BLUFF, BROKEN BOW, BURWELL, ST PAUL, VALENTINE, O’NEILL, COLUMBUS, YORK, BELLEVUE, AND OMAHA. IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED UP FOR TEST NEBRASKA.COM, PLEASE DO THAT. IT IS ONE WAY EVERY NEBRASKAN CAN PARTICIPATE BY SIGNING UP FOR TEST NEBRASKA.COM AND WITH ALL THE LOCATIONS, WE MAY BE AT A LOCATION IN YOUR AREA. IF YOU SIGN UP, WE ARE PRIORITIZING PEOPLE WHO ARE SYMPTOMATIC, HEALTH-CARE WORKERS, FOOD PROCESSORS, PEOPLE WHO I-65 OR OLDER, THOSE FOLKS WILL BE PRIORITIZED. PLEASE SIGN UP. ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO IS PULL TOGETHER NEW DATA WITH REGARD TO HOW THE PANDEMIC IS IMPACTING NEBRASKANS IN THE STATE. WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR FOLKS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TO COME UP WITH DATA IN OUR CEO FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES WILL COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THE NEW DATA AND WHAT WE WILL BE PUBLISHING GOING FORWARD. THOUGH YOU PLEASE COME UP AND GIVE US EVERYTHING? -- WILL YOU PLEASE COME AND GIVE US A BRIEFING? >> THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY’S PRESS CONFERENCE. GOVERNOR RICKETTS HAS INSURED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, THROUGH MY LEADERSHIP AS THE CEO, IS COMMITTED TO SERVING THE MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS AND ENSURING HEALTH QUALITY -- HEALTHY QUALITY AND INCLUSION FOR ALL RESIDENTS IN NEBRASKA. THIS INCLUDES NEBRASKA RESIDENTS WITH DIVERSE ETHNIC AND RACIAL BACKGROUNDS, OR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. AS WE LOOK FORWARD, THE DEPARTMENT WILL BE TRANSPARENT IN A STATUS SHARING AND REPORTING. I WILL BE SHARING A SNAPSHOT OF THE DATA BY RACE AND ETHNICITY AND HOW COVID-19 HAS IMPACTED THE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO CAPTURE AND SYNTHESIZE THE DATA THAT IS COMPLETE BY RACE AND ETHNICITY. THIS IS LARGELY DUE TO OUR INABILITY TO RELY ON ONE SINGLE DATA SOURCE AND SYSTEM IN NEBRASKA. WE HAVE HAD TO RELY ON MULTIPLE SYSTEMS TO OBTAIN SOME OF THE DATA POINTS ON RACE AND ETHNICITY. THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH NEBRASKA HEALTH, INFORMATION INITIATIVE, A STATE HEALTH INFORMATION EXCHANGE SYSTEM, WE WILL BE ABLE TO COLLECT, PRODUCE, AND SHARE REAL-TIME DATA ABOUT THE POPULATIONS WE SERVE, SPECIFICALLY DATA REGARDING THE IMPACT OF COVID-19. THE DEPARTMENT IS KEENLY AWARE OF HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH DATA AS DATA CAN HELP DRIVE OUR DECISIONS FOR HOW WE SERVE COMMUNITIES OF COLOR AND ALL RESIDENTS OF NEBRASKA. TODAY, YOU WILL HEAR IMPORTANT DATA RELATED TO RACE AND ETHNICITY AS WELL AS COVID-19 POSITIVE CASES, HOSPITALIZATIONS, AND DEATHS. AT THE END OF JUNE, 2020, DHS DATA DASHBOARD WILL BE ON OUR WEBSITE AND WE WILL BEGIN TO REPORT THIS INFORMATION ON A MONTHLY BASIS. LET ME SET A LITTLE BIT OF THE CONTEXT FOR THE DATA WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THIS AFTERNOON. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY IN 2018 OUR STATE DEMOGRAPHIC DATA MAKES UP, OF THE FOLLOWING DATA POINTS. 87% CAUCASIAN, 5% AFRICAN-AMERICAN, 5% MULTIRACIAL OR OTHER RACES, 2% ASIAN, 1% AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKAN NATIVE, AND 0.1% FOR NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDERS. WITH RESPECT TO ETHNICITY, 89% NON-HISPANIC WITH THE 11% BEING HISPANIC OR LATINO. LET’S TURN A LITTLE BIT TO THE COVID DATA ACCORDING TO OUR DHS DASHBOARD. TODAY, IN OUR STATE, WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 13,261 POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES. OF THOSE POSITIVE CASES, WE HAVE DATA ON RACE AND AT THE CITY FOR APPROXIMATELY 9630 INDIVIDUALS. OF THE 9630 CASES THAT WE KNOW -- OF THE 9630 CASES THAT WE KNOW OF, 2430 ARE SPECIFIC TO COMMUNITIES OF COLOR. I WILL BREAK THIS DOWN A LITTLE BIT. 48% HOT IDENTIFIED AS HISPANIC OR LATINO, 10% HAVE IDENTIFIED AS OTHER RACE OR MULTI-RACE, 7% ASIAN, 7% AFRICAN-AMERICAN. LESS THAN 1% IDENTIFIES AS AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKAN NATIVE. FINALLY, LESS THAN 1% IDENTIFIES AS NATIVE, HAWAIIAN, PACIFIC ISLANDERS. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE DATA INCOMPLETENESS FOR THE RACE AND ETHNICITY CATEGORY FOR OUR POSITIVE CASES AND THIS IS WHY WE ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE OUR DATA COLLECTION AND OUR VALIDATION PROCESS. THERE IS AN APPROXIMATELY 30% GAP IN THE DATA THAT I JUST REPORTED TO YOU. AMONG ALL POSITIVE CASES, WHEN WE LOOK AT GENDER, APPROXIMATELY EVEN BETWEEN FEMALES AND MALES, FEMALES REPRESENT 51% WHERE MALES REPRESENT 49% WHO HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY COVID-19. 83% OF POSITIVE CASES ARE AMONG FIVE AGE GROUPS REPRESENTING INDIVIDUALS FROM THE AGES OF 10 YEARS OLD THROUGH 59. EACH AGE GROUP MAKING UP BETWEEN 16% TO 18% OF POSITIVE CASES RESPECTFULLY. AMONG THOSE PATIENTS, HOSPITALIZED, OVERWHELMINGLY MAJORITY, 75% ARE AMONG THOSE 50 YEARS AND OLDER. OF COVID-19 RELATED DEATHS, 87% ARE AMONG THOSE 60 YEARS AND OLDER. AS WE FOCUS ON COVID-19 CASES THAT RESULTED IN HOSPITALIZATIONS, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE DATA ON THAT. 70% OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT PRESENTED AT THE HOSPITAL WERE CAUCASIAN. 40% THAT PRESENTED WERE HISPANIC OR LATINO. 8% PRESENTED AS ASIAN. 7% PRESENTED AS AFRICAN-AMERICAN. 5%, MULTIRACIAL OR OTHER RACES. 1% PRESENTED AS AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKAN NATIVE. LESS THAN 1% PRESENTED AS NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDERS. AMONG THE COVID-19 RELATED DEATHS, 75% OF DEATHS BELONG TO THE CAUCASIAN POPULATION. 20% OF THOSE DEATHS WERE FROM HISPANIC OR LATINO. 7% WERE AFRICAN-AMERICAN. 6% WERE ASIAN. 3% WERE MULTIRACIAL OR OTHER. 1% WERE AMERICAN INDIAN OR ALASKA NATIVE. LESS THAN 1% WITH NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR PACIFIC ISLANDERS. AFRICAN-AMERICANS MAKE UP 5% OF THE POPULATION IN THE STATE AND ACCOUNT FOR 7% OF THE COVID-19 DEATHS. LET’S LOOK AT HISPANICS. HISPANICS MAKE UP 11% OF THE POPULATION IN THE STATE AND ACCOUNT FOR 20% OF THE DEATHS. HISPANICS MAKE UP 11% OF THE POPULATION, BUT HAVE REPRESENTED 40% OF OUR REPORTED COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS. THOSE WHO IDENTIFY AS ASIANS MAKE UP 2% OF NEBRASKA’S POPULATION, BUT REPRESENT 8% OF COVID HOSPITALIZATIONS. AS YOU CAN SEE, SOME OF OUR DATA IS STARTLING, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO WITH OUR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TO ENSURE WE UNDERSTAND THEIR CULTURE AND LINGUISTIC NEEDS SO THAT WE CAN BETTER COMMUNICATE AND PROMOTE HEALTHY LIVING AND ENSURE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE THAT WILL FOCUS ON PREVENTION VERSUS TREATMENT. WE CONTINUE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS, SUCH AS HYPERTENSION, HEART DISEASE, DIABETES, TOBACCO USE, THESE UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS HAVE A GREATER IMPACT ON RECOVERY AND TREATMENT FOR COVID-19. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE FOR COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, WHERE THEY OFTEN HAVE UNDIAGNOSED CONDITIONS DUE TO LACK OF TREATMENT AND CARE AND ARE GROSSLY IMPACTED BY HAVING A CORE MOBILITY -- A COMORBIDITY DIAGNOSIS. THIS IS WHY WORKING WITH OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENTS AND HEALTH CENTERS, ARE SO IMPORTANT AND SO INTEGRAL TO PROVIDING PRIMARY CARE TO THE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD IN OUR EFFORT TO COLLECT THE DATA, TO BE ABLE TO SHARE IT WITH FIDELITY. I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO COLLECT, COMPILE, AND REPORT DATA IN A TRANSPARENT MANNER. I REALIZE THE DATA I’M PRESENTING TODAY IS MERELY A SNAPSHOT OF THE DATA THAT INFORMS US ON THE IMPACT OF COVID-19, ALTHOUGH THIS IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF DATA TO SHARE, WE ARE COMMITTED TO IMPROVING OUR ABILITY TO REPORT VALIDATED DATA AND TO ENSURE THE DATA QUALITY WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT. HERE IS WHAT WE ARE LEARNING THROUGH THE COVID-19. WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF ENGAGING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, ENSURING HEALTH ACCESS AND EQUITY FOR EVERYONE. TO THIS END, WE HAVE SHARED MATERIALS INCLUDING VIDEOS IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES WITH THE DISPARITIES AMONG THE HISPANIC POPULATION, WE HAVE HIRED SPANISH-SPEAKING CONTRACT TRACERS" PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS HAVE USED HEALTH WORKERS TO ENGAGE MEMBERS OF THEIR EFFECTIVE COMMUNITIES. AS THE CHIEF PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIST, WE MUST BE ROBUST AND DATA-DRIVEN AS WE UTILIZE AND SHARE DATA TO INFORM AND SUPPORT THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM. LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND A FEW HC’S IN SERVING THE MOST VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN OUR AREA WHERE ENGLISH IS NOT THE FIRST LANGUAGE AND ALL RESIDENTS OF NEBRASKA. AS A PARTNER IN THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, WE MUST DEVELOP STRATEGIES THAT HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF PREVENTION AND APPROPRIATE USE OF TREATMENT, PARTICULARLY AS WE FIGHT THE COVID-19 VIRUS. SO WHAT IS IT THAT YOU CAN DO? THE FIRST THING YOU CAN DO IS GET TESTED. VISIT TESTNEBRASKA.COM FOR TESTING SITE OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. WE ARE DOING APPROXIMATELY 1300 TESTS PER DAY AND ON AVERAGE, WE ARE CLOSE TO GETTING TO THE GOVERNOR’S GOAL ON AVERAGE, WE ARE TESTING APPROXIMATELY 23 PERSONS IN TOTAL OVER THE LAST THREE WEEKS. WHEN YOU GET TESTED, I WANT TO REMIND YOU, BRING A FRIEND BECAUSE SOMETIMES GETTING TESTED IS FRIGHTENING, BRING A FRIEND, BRING YOUR MAST, REMEMBER SOCIAL DISTANCE. KNOW YOUR HEALTH STATUS. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND YOUR HEALTH STATUS AND HOW THAT PLAYS PROMINENTLY IN YOUR LIFE. MANY PERSONS OF COLOR ARE EMPLOYED IN DESIGNATED ESSENTIAL JOBS, UNDERSTANDING YOUR HEALTH IS CRITICAL TO GOOD HEALTHY LIVING AND MAINTAINING A BALANCE BETWEEN HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH. BE SURE TO SEEK TREATMENT FROM YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER REGARDING ANY HEALTH CONCERNS AND SYMPTOMS YOU MAY HAVE FROM COVID-19. GOVERNOR, THANK YOU FOR LETTING BE PRESENT THIS AFTERNOON. MORE DATA TO COME, WE WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED. PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU REFER TO THE DHHS WEBSITE AT THE END OF JUNE WHERE YOU WILL SEE THE INFORMATION THAT I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS AFTERNOON AND MUCH MORE. THANK YOU. GOV. RICKETTS: THANK YOU. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT IN OUR PRESS BRIEFINGS IS FRANCIS, WHO HAD BEEN DOING OUR SIGN INTERPRETATION, AND WE HAVE INVITED JOHN, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE NEBRASKA COMMISSION FOR THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING. HE WILL TALK ABOUT HOW THIS PANDEMIC HAS IMPACTED THAT COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE SUPPOSED BE WEARING MASKS. WOULD YOU PLEASE, AND GIVE US A FEW WORDS ON THAT? >> THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE ON BEHALF OF THE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING COMMUNITY. WE WANT TO THANK YOU, GOVERNOR, FOR STRIVING FOR THE BEST IN COMMUNICATION IN YOUR PRESS CONFERENCES WITH HAVING -- WITH THE PRESS CONFERENCES AS WELL AS INSISTING ON CAPTIONING IN THE PRESS CONFERENCES TO ENSURE THAT ALL NEBRASKANS ARE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANT PUBLIC INFORMATION, THE INFORMATION AT THE WIDE VIEWING AUDIENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. HELEN KELLER, A FAMOUS DEATH, BLIND ADVOCATE, IN DESCRIBING DEAF AND BLIND TO THE NUMBERS OF THE HUMAN COMMUNITY, HAS SAID THAT BEING BLIND CUT YOU OFF FROM THINGS, BEING DEAF COULD YOU OFF FROM PEOPLE. ONE THING IT CAN CUT YOU OFF FROM PEOPLE IS HAVING MASKS LIKE THIS COVERING YOUR MOUTH AND ATTEMPTING TO COMMUNICATE AND UNDERSTAND BECAUSE FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE, A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THE QS IN PICKING UP LANGUAGE AND INFORMATION COMES FROM THE ABILITY TO LET READ AND WATCH THE MOUTH AND FACIAL EXPRESSIONS. WHY THIS MATTERS IN NEBRASKA IS THAT 20% OF OUR POPULATION HAS SOME FORM OF HEARING LOSS, DIAGNOSED OR NOT. THAT TRANSLATES TO ONE OUT OF FIVE NEBRASKANS. TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY, THREE OUT OF EVERY 1000 BOARD AND NEBRASKA , A CHILD HAS HEARING LOSS. THERE ARE 892 CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THE PRIMARY DISABILITY OF BEING DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS BASED ON THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. ONE OUT OF EVERY THREE OVER THE AGE OF 65 HAVE A HEARING LOSS. THAT NUMBER INCREASES AS YOU GET OLDER. THERE IS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT LOSSES, SOME PERCENT THAT -- THERE ARE THOSE THAT BECOME DEAF LATER IN LIFE, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF COVID-CONNECTED INJURIES OR LISTENING TO TOO MUCH ROCK MUSIC, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT -- ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT YOU TO BE AWARE OF IS SIMPLE. BE AWARE OF THE COMMUNICATION BARRIER AND HAVE A COMMUNICATION PLAN. SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER THE OPPORTUNITY FOR CLEAR MASKS, THE MASK I’M SHOWING YOU HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS TO THE COMMISSION, A CLEAR MASK THAT PEOPLE CAN PICK UP ON LIP READING AND FACIAL CUES. THERE ARE MAST PROVIDERS OUT THERE THAT PROVIDE CLEAR SURGICAL MASKS THAT WOULD ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN AND IN TODAY’S ENVIRONMENT, WE ARE AWARE WITH THE CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER BEING HERE, ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNICATION IN A MEDICAL SETTING AND IF YOU CANNOT HEAR OR UNDERSTAND WHAT IS BEING SAID , IT BECOMES DIFFICULT. WE ALSO SEE WITH FIRST RESPONDERS, WHETHER IT BE PARAMEDICS, FIREFIGHTERS, OR LAW ENFORCEMENT, A LACK OF COMMUNICATION CAN GREATLY ENHANCE THE RISK OF ESCALATION OR UNFORTUNATE OUTCOMES. PUBLIC SCHOOLS NEED COMMUNICATION WHEN STUDENTS GO BACK TO SCHOOL, OR THE GROCERY STORE, THE BANK, DRUGSTORES, AT SOME POINT WE WILL BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND WATCH THE GAMES. OTHER THINGS IF YOU DON’T HAVE A CLEAR MASK, YOURSELF AND OR TABLETS, IF THERE IS A COMMUNICATION BARRIER, TYPE OUT THE MESSAGE. ME AND MY WIFE SAYS THE A LIST OF THINGS TO GET, SO IF I DON’T -- CAN’T FIND IT, I POINT TO THE LIST BECAUSE OF THE COMMUNICATION BARRIER. IF NOT, THEN AND CANCEL. THE TAKEAWAY IS TO MAKE SURE, BE AWARE AND HAVE -- BUSINESSES AND GOVERNMENTS, WE THANK THE GOVERNOR FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND TO SHARE THAT AND ALSO THANKING HIM AND HIS CABINET FOR LEADING THE WAY IN SHOWING HOW COMMUNICATION SHOULD BE DONE IN A CHALLENGING, UNIQUE TIME IN THE NEW NORMAL WE WILL BE SEEING FOR SEVERAL MONTHS TO COME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, GOVERNOR. DANNETTE: THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. -- GOV. RICKETTS: THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY. JOHN TOLD ME BEFORE WE WALKED IN TODAY THAT FRANCIS SITS ON HIS BOARD, SO KIND OF HIS BOSS, SO HE HAS TO TO SAY NICE THINGS ABOUT HER. [LAUGHTER] TAYLOR, YOU DID NOT LEAVE THE LIST OF QUESTIONS APPEAR. DID YOU HAVE A LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR ME THAT WERE EMAILED AHEAD OF TIME? I DON’T THINK I HAVE THEM HERE. DID YOU PICK UP MY QUESTIONS? THAT’S OK, I GOT -- IT WILL BE HARD TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. ALL RIGHT, SO PEOPLE GET THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERS. I’M WONDERING IF YOU HAVE RESPONSE TO THE RECENT DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD IN MINNESOTA, PROTESTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE AROUND THE U.S. AND SOME ARE BEING PLANNED IN NEBRASKA, WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THOSE PLANNING TO PROTEST? FOR, I HAVE NOT SEEN THE VIDEO MYSELF, BUT FROM NEWS REPORTS, THIS IS AN UGLY JUST VIOLATION OF MR. FLOYD’S RIGHTS AND THE OFFICER NEEDS TO BE CHARGED AND THIS NEEDS TO BE COURT TO BE ADJUDICATED THROUGH OUR SYSTEM OF JUSTICE BUT I THINK FROM SOME OF THE COMMENTS YOU HAVE SEEN FROM OUR OWN OFFICIALS ABOUT IT, HOW BAD THIS IS AND HOW IT REFLECTS POORLY ON LAW ENFORCEMENT INGRATES THAT DISTRUST BETWEEN OUR COMMUNITY’S OF COLOR AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, THIS IS A TERRIBLE CASE IN THE UNITED STATES. WITH REGARD TO THE DEMONSTRATORS THIS WEEKEND, I ENCOURAGE THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS IN A PEACEFUL WAY. I UNDERSTAND WHY A PEACEFUL DEMONSTRATION IS CALLED FOR. WWT, WILL GUIDE LINES BE POSTED SOON AND WHEN? THEY ARE LOOKING FOR RULES ON GAS MASKS, HOW DRINKS SHOULD BE SERVED, FIRST DANCE A LOT OR NOT ALLOWED? THIS IS REGARD TO WEDDINGS. WE HAVE -- WITH REGARD TO RECEPTIONS, PEOPLE CAN HAVE GUESTS, 50% OF THE OCCUPIED OCCUPANCY. GUESTS HAVE TO BE SITTING AT TABLES, SIX FEET APART, SIX PEOPLE PER TABLE. THERE IS NO SOCIAL DENSITY, NO DANCING ALLOWED. IF THE BRIDE AND GROOM DANCE, THAT IS DIFFERENT, THEY ARE GETTING MARRIED, THEY ARE SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER, OR THERE IS A FIRST KISS. THE BRIDE AND GROOM DANCING IS NOT PART OF THE NO DANCING, BUT LET’S USE COMMON SENSE ABOUT WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. DREAMS HAVE TO BE SERVED AT THE TABLE, YOU CAN LOOK AT THE BAR GUIDELINES FOR HOW THAT IS BEING DONE. THE WHOLE IDEA IS TO PREVENT LARGE GROUPS OF PEOPLE FROM MIXING. THAT’S HOW WE SLOW THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS. MAKE SURE GROUPS DO NOT MIX. WHEN YOU ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A RECEPTION LIST, THINK ABOUT HOW WE AVOID THOSE LARGE GROUPS. A BRIDE AND GROOM ARE NOT A LARGE GROUP. THEY CAN DANCE. THOSE OF THE ELITE TWO I HAD A PEER. DID YOU HAVE OTHERS THAT WERE TEXTED IN? >> THEY WANT TO KNOW ABOUT GUIDANCE FOR MARSHLAND AND GENETICS -- GYMNASTIC STUDIOS -- FOR MARTIAL ARTS AND GYMNASTICS STUDIOS. >> PAUL FROM FOX WAS TO KNOW ABOUT MARTIAL ART AND GENETICS STUDIOS. NEITHER OF THOSE IS CLOSE TO THE PANDEMIC. IF YOU LOOK AT THE D.H. M, WHAT THAT TALKS ABOUT IS MARTIAL ARTS COMPETITIONS AND DID NOTHING. MUCH LIKE STUDIOS, GYMNASTICS STUDIOS, BUSINESSES REMAIN OPEN. THEY CAN GO TO MONDAY FIVE PEOPLE, SIX FEET APART, PROPERLY DISTANCE, STARTING MONDAY. NO CONTACT. IT IS COMPETITIONS WE ARE PROHIBITING. WHERE YOU HAVE CONTACT AND SO FORTH. THOSE GYMNASTICS AND MARTIAL ARTS COMPETITIONS ARE PROHIBIT. STUDIOS CAN REMAIN OPEN AND GO UP TO 25 PEOPLE. >> A COUPLE PEOPLE WANTED TO KNOW [INDISCERNIBLE] GOV. RICKETTS: DR., CAN YOU COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THOSE UPDATED NUMBERS PLEASE? >> FOR MEAT PROCESSING FACILITIES, THE CASES NOW ARE 2900 -- 2988 IDENTIFIED AS POSITIVE. DEBTS ARE 11. CONFIRMED CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE 140 TESTED POSITIVE. GOV. RICKETTS: THANK YOU. >> THERE ARE FOLKS PLANNING TO DEMONSTRATE THIS WEEKEND REGARDING WORKING CONDITIONS FOR MEAT PROCESSING WORKERS, PRISONERS AND IMMIGRANTS [INDISCERNIBLE] WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT GOV. RICKETTS: THERE ARE PROTESTERS THIS WEEKEND WITH REGARD TO FOOD PROCESSING PLANTS , I THINK OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT ARE GOING TO BE MORE AT RISK, AND WITH REGARD TO THESE AT-RISK COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE PLANS WE ARE WORKING ON TO BE ABLE TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS. WE HAVE TALKED WITH REGARD TO WHAT WE ARE DOING WITH REGARD TO FOOD PROCESSING FACILITIES, MEAT PROCESSORS TO THE COVID-19 PLAYBOOK AND BEST PRACTICES. WE TALKED YESTERDAY ABOUT MANY OF THOSE COMMUNITIES, WE ARE IN SINGLE DIGITS AS FAR AS NEW CASES DAILY. COUNTIES LIKE DAKOTA AND CELINE AND DAWSON AND SO FORTH -- THOSE NUMBERS HAVE BEEN MITIGATED IN THOSE COUNTIES. WE CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH THAT. WE HAVE A PLAN FOR OUR DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS. UMC AND THE FOLKS THERE HAVE BEEN VISITING OUR LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES AND WORKING WITH THAT, VISITING SHELTERS. THESE PLACES BUT WE HAVE AT-RISK COMMUNITIES, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH PEOPLE WHO MANAGE THOSE FACILITIES TO COME UP WITH PLANS TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF VIRUS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES. >> THEY WANT TO KNOW, WHEN SHOULD SOMEONE BE RETESTED? DOES IT DEPEND ON THEIR LIFESTYLE, WERE, OR TRAVEL? GOV. RICKETTS: THEY WANT TO KNOW WHEN PEOPLE SHOULD BE BE TASTED -- RETESTED? YOU CAN GET RETESTED AS PART OF TEST BRASSICA AND YOU SHOULD GET RETESTED IF SOMETHING CHANGED. IF YOU DEVELOP SYMPTOMS, GO BACK IN TWO -- GO BACK INTO TESTNEBRASKA.COM AND UPDATE YOUR ASSESSMENT SO IT SHOWS YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS NOW. THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS WE PRIORITIZE, HAVING NO SYMPTOMS. IF YOU WERE EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WHO YOU KNOW HAS CORONAVIRUS, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER CHANGE THAT YOU SHOULD UPDATE YOUR ASSESSMENT AND GET RETESTED. THAT IS HOW IT WOULD WORK WITH TESTNEBRASKA.COM, IF YOU HAVE A CHANGE, SOMETHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH SYMPTOMS OR EXPOSURE, GO GET YOUR ASSESSMENT UPDATED. IF YOU QUALIFY, YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO GO GET THAT AND SCHEDULE ANOTHER TEST. >> THERE ARE FOLKS THINKING THEY COULD BE CHARGED $150 TO BE TESTED. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE TEST IS BEING DONE AT NO CHARGE? GOV. RICKETTS: THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO BE CHARGED $150. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW IT IS FREE? THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WE DO THESE PRESS CONFERENCES AND PRESS BRIEFINGS AND ENCOURAGE THE MEDIA TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT THAT EVERYTHING WE ARE DOING THROUGH TESTNEBRASKA.COM IS FREE. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY. THE TESTING IS FREE, THE CARE PROVIDED FOR A TREATMENT FOR CORONAVIRUS IS GOING TO BE FREE, SO WE WANT PEOPLE TO GET TESTED AND SEEK THAT CARE. >> SEVERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE REGIONAL CENTER. GOV. RICKETTS: WITH