State agencies in Nebraska and Iowa are making preparations for the spread of coronavirus.
The Department of Health and Human Services is asking Nebraskans who've traveled to an expanded list of countries to report to local health department
DHHS and other health partners are anticipating an impact on Nebraska and are expanding the list of recent countries traveled that require residents to self-report.
If you have traveled to Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Iran, Italy, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, along with China in the last 14 days, you should self-report to the Nebraska Public Health online system or contact your local health department.
In Iowa, Mills County health officials are sharing coronavirus preparedness tips. To date, no one has tested positive for coronavirus, but Mills County officials are asking residents to be prepared in case it spreads.
“Since the start of this outbreak, Mills County Public Health has worked closely with the Iowa Department of Public Health to monitor potential cases of COVID-19,” Mills County Public Health Director Julie Lynes tells WOWT-6 News. “We have and will continue to work with our local, state and national partners to be ready in case the virus does come to Iowa.”
She recommends covering coughs or sneezes with a tissue or your upper arm, cleaning your hands frequently with soap and water and containing germs by staying home when ill.
They also recommend preparing for the potential spread just like you would for severe weather. Lynes recommends asking these questions when preparing: What would you do if you could not go to work or school because of illness? What if your daycare provider was ill? How would you get groceries if you were ill?
Symptoms of the virus can include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. You can get more details on the Iowa Department of Public Health’s website,
The Department says a dozen people are being monitored for coronavirus, though none of them are showing symptoms. So far, 30 people have completed coronavirus quarantine in Iowa and none of them have tested positive.
At University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha 14 people are being monitored for the virus.