With the Coronavirus presence in Nebraska, the Speaker of the Legislature has recessed the body until further notice. He will reconvene the Legislative body as needed to address the needs of the state and at a future date reconvene to complete the remaining days of this short session.  Legislative offices are currently closed to the public.  My office is minimally staffed and will be working from home, we will be monitoring telephone messages and emails and responding accordingly.

The situation in our state changes daily and I encourage everyone to please be patient with this situation due to its uniqueness and challenges. All are called upon to adapt in many different ways and I am asking all of us to be resilient like we had to be a year ago. We will continue to care for neighbors in different ways than we did a year ago. The words Nebraska Strong resonate again, in a different way, to be strong in health, be strong for our medical staff, and practicing CDC recommendations.

Governor Ricketts has issued guidelines limiting public gatherings to ten people according to CDC guidance.  This is related to public gatherings such as bars, sporting events and worship. As you know, Governor Ricketts has been very proactive in keeping the public informed on precautionary guidelines to follow. To keep up with these updates, you can refer to the Governor’s website https://governor.nebraska.gov/.

Nebraska Medicine has an all-encompassing website that provides valuable information on coronavirus in our state such as healthcare facilities, school information, and self-assessment tools which can be found here https://icap.nebraskamed.com/.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is also providing current updates on the situation for individuals. It provides a “What you should know” section which explains who is most at risk for the virus, how to prevent contracting it, symptoms, what to do if you get sick, and frequently asked questions. This link also provides current situation reports detailing cases in the US and globally. It also has a page that provides guidance to business and employers on how they should plan, prepare and respond to a COVID-19 outbreak. Last, it provides information for schools, healthcare professionals, and for potential travelers.  This website can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) is providing loans and other resources to small businesses who may have been impacted financially by COVID-19. If you own a small business follow this link to see what resources may be available. https://www.sba.gov/page/coronavirus-covid-19-small-business-guidance-loan-resources

Finally, the World Health Organization also has a website which provides the most current information on a global level. This site also provides all footage from press briefings discussing the COVID-19 situation. This website can be found here https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019.

At this time I am praying for everyone affected by this challenge.  We are empathetically here to listen to your concerns and encourage you to contact my office at 402-471-2719 or bbostelman@leg.ne.gov if you have questions or need assistance.