Child Care, Business Recovery Highlight Wednesday Pandemic Press Conference

LINCOLN - Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts earlier designated  April 10 to April 30 as 21 days to stay home and stay healthy and reviewed his six rules to keep healthy including staying home and social distancing.

The governor also announced Wednesday’s launch of the Nebraska Business Response Survey. He asked Nebraska businesses and non-profits to fill out the surveys with descriptions of how coronavirus has impacted their operations.

The University of Nebraska’s Nebraska Business Development and the state Department of Economic Development organized the survey to help the state plan for recovery and future growth.

University President Ted Carter said the university is partnership with the survey for its research mission. He said extension specialists and the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources are also available to help with business development.

The governor said the state’s limit on day cares of 10 people per room resulted in many day cares closing, but there remain a number of families that need day cares so they can go to work.

Ricketts: “I also signed an executive order today that will waive a couple of statutes that will allow the Department of Health and Human Services to reimburse daycares even though the children are not currently there because of the coronavirus.”

He said the action will help the daycares stay in business and hold the slot for the child whose parent is temporarily staying home.

Stephanie Beasley, director of Children and Family Services, provided a day care update.

Beasley: “As of this morning, 481 or 16 percent of our licensed child care programs in Nebraska have temporarily closed since the COVID-19 emergency declaration.”

She said 26 percent, or 4,421 children do not have access to child care while family members work. Nationwide, daily attendance is down 70 percent.

Beasley: “Families need care to work.”

She said families receiving a child care subsidy will have the option of using a license-exempt, in-home child care provider.

Answering questions from reporters, Gov. Ricketts said success in social distancing is seen by a health care system that is not overwhelmed.

University President Carter said he is optimistic that fans will be watching college football this fall.

Carter: “Obviously I’m paying attention to conversations at the Big 10, at the NCAA level, at the Power 5 level and across all of the FBS. If you think about FBS, there are 130 teams all across the country. You talk about how complicated it is to come up with a solution that fits all 130 teams and all the Power 5 and the group of 5 components with that.

“What I’ve heard is from coaches and athletic directors, First of all, they don’t believe football should be played in front of empty stadiums. The fans are a part of the college football experience.

“I don’t know if that means half-full stadiums or fans that are spread apart, following the physical distancing that we have now.”

He expects a return of professional and NCAA sports, but it could be the last week of August or maybe even November.

It was American Sign Language Day on April 15 and Gov. Ricketts named Frances Beaurivage as an admiral in the Nebraska Navy. She has been the sign language interpreter for the governor’s pandemic press conferences.