Health officials point to nursing homes to encourage Auburn mask proclamation

AUBURN  - Local health officials offered a grim assessment on the deadliness of the novel coronavirus pandemic for nursing homes and asked the Auburn Health Board to recommend a continuation of Mayor Dan White’s mask proclamation.

The proclamation advises the wearing of masks without any penalty for violations, but it drew protests at the city council’s December meeting.

Southeast District Health Department Director Grant Brueggeman said the district has confirmed over 2,800 cases since March and 787 cases in the last 30 days. He said there are positive trends as the district’s 30-day count had been as high as 1,500.

Brueggeman: “In terms of incidence of new disease, the last time I checked this, we were close to 35ish cases per 100,000. In reference, in the middle of November, we got as high as about 150 per 100,000. The significance of that is Douglas County, at the same time, the highest they got was 120, so we were seeing transmission of the disease back in November that was higher than our biggest metropolitan area.”

Dr. Gary Ensz said he and three other doctors have recovered from COVID-19, but noted over 30 dead in the district. Dr. Ensz said COVID-19 got into a Nemaha County nursing home.

Ensz: “There were I believe 33 out of 59 residents at the time, starting when it got into the nursing home, were identified as having COVID. 13 out of those 33 people died. That’s been what has happened across the board. They say 40 percent of people in nursing homes that get it do succumb to it.”

 

City Councilman Shawn Clark asked if masks are effective, how did COVID-19 get into the nursing home where there has been a lockdown and masks were used rigorously.

Ensz: “That’s why it’s important, I think, to wear masks because of how infectious this is and how you spread it to people when you don’t know you have it.”

 

Clark: “The point I was trying to make and you just made it for me, no matter what you do that you can still get it. Because I got it and I --  when I traveled a lot I always wore mask and gloves. You make my point why I don’t want a mask mandate because if you do everything right you can still get it.
Ensz: “Well you can, but you are less likely to.”

Dr. Ensz said the Lincoln mask mandate shows effectiveness of masks and local schools report success with masks to slow the spread.

Brueggeman said although some vaccine is being pushed out, the district is very far away from any semblance of normalcy.

He said vaccine availability for the general public will not occur anytime before summer.

 Dr. Ensz said the mayor’s proclamation has been helpful to encourage people to wear masks and said masks will be important until vaccines begin to affect herd immunity, when 75 percent of the nation is vaccinated.