Increased COVID-19 Testing in South Omaha

How state and community leaders are responding to the COVID-19 crisis is south Omaha.

INCREASE IN COVID-19TESTING IN SOUTHOMAHA.THAT'S DUE TO THEHIGHESTCONCENTRATION OFPOSITIVE CASES INTHE AREA.3:36 IT SEEMS IT'SFOLLOWING THEPACKING PLANTS ASWE'VE SEEN IN OTHERAREAS.IT'S THE PACKINGPLANTS AROUNDHERE ARE STILLWORKING ANDPEOPLE AREWORKING IN CLOSEQUARTERS, WORKINGCLOSE TO EACHOTHER, LONG HOURS,I KNOW THAT SEEMSTO BE WHERE A LOTOF THE CASES SEEMTO BE COMING FROMALL AROUND THECOUNTRY, SO ITWASN'T A SURPRISETHAT IT ARRIVEDHERE.3:51 17:51 I THINKEARLY ON, THEPLANTS DIDN'T KNOWWHAT TO DO, ANDWEREN'T ASEQUIPPED AS THEYARE NOW SO MANYPEOPLE CONTRACTEDTHE DISEASE.18:04 THAT'S WHY AFEW WEEKS AGOAFTER ONEWORLDCOMMUNITY HEALTHCENTER SAW UP TO700 POSITIVE CASESIN A SHORT PERIOD OFTIME THEY REACHEDOUT TO CITY ANDSTATE AGENCIES FORASSISTANCE.SINCE LASTTHURSDAY DOUGLASCOUNTY AND THENEBRASKA NATIONALGUARD HAVE BEENCONDUCTING FREEDRIVE-THRU TESTINGCLINICS NEAR THEONEWORLDCOMMUNITY HEALTHCENTER.5:20 WE'VE BEENTESTING EVERY DAYSINCE, AND WE HAD300 TESTS EACH OFTHE FIRST TWO DAYS,OVER 200 TESTSYESTERDAY SO IT'SBEEN VERYSUCCESSFUL AND THENATIONAL GUARD ISHERE, THEY'RE GIVINGOUT THE TESTS.WE'RE HELPINGORGANIZE IT, SAFETYPROVIDED BY THENEBRASKA STATEPATROL, AND WEMAKE IT REAL EASYFOR PEOPLE, THEYJUST HAVE TO SHOWUP, GIVE US THEIRNAME, THEIR DATE OFBIRTH, AND THENWE'LL CONTACT THEMWITH THE RESULTS.5:44 THE TESTS ARECOMING FROM TWODIFFERENT LABS INTOWN.THE NATIONAL GUARDCAN TEST UP TO 300PEOPLE A DAY.AT THE END OF THESHIFTS THE LABS PICKUP THE TESTS ANDPROCESS THEM.TO SERVE THEDIVERSE GROUP OFPEOPLE,SPECIFICALLYHISPANICS WHO NEEDTESTING THE COUNTYAND ONEWORLD HAVEPEOPLE ASSISTING.6:27 WE HAVEBILINGUAL PEOPLEAND WE HAVEINTERPRETERS ONSITE AND WE'RE EVENSTARTING TOCOUNTER SOMEKAREN, AND SOMEOTHER, ACTUALLYSOME AFRICANLANGUAGES.6:36 SO FAR..THE NATIONAL GUARDHAS TESTED OVER1,000 PEOPLE.MANY OF THEM..WORK IN MEATPACKING PLANTS.THEIR FAMILIES ALSOCOME AND GETCHECKED.ANDREA SKOLKIN,CEO OF THE ONEWORLD COMMUNITYHEALTH CENTER SAYSTHEY ARE SEEING ALLTYPES OF CASES.14:50 ALL THESYMPTOMS THATYOU'VE HEARD ABOUTIN THE NEWS, THERUNNY NOSE, THEHEADACHES, THEFATIGUE, THEDIARRHEA, ALL THOSEKINDS OF THINGS,AND THE COUGH, THECOUGH IS THE MOSTSERIOUS.15:01 NEEDMONITORING AND ARESYMPTOMS.AND YOU MAY NOTHAVE ALL THESYMPTOMS,INCLUDING FEVER,EVERYONE TALKSABOUT THE FEVERBUT IT'S NOT ALWAYSTHERE.SO ANY SYMPTOM, WEARE TESTING FOR.15:19 SHE SAYS SOFAR..THE TESTING PROVESMORE SOCIALDISTANCING NEEDSTO REMAIN IN PLACE.21:15 IN ONEWORLD'STESTING, THERE'SABOUT A 40%POSITIVE RATE.IN WHAT THE GUARDHAS BEEN DOING,WE'VE ONLY HADABOUT A DAY OR TWOOF RESULTS BACKAND IT'S AT 20% ANDTHAT SHOWS THATTESTING IS REALLYNECESSARY AND THATPEOPLE TAKE IT EVENMORE SERIOUSLY ANDLEARN HOW TOISOLATE.21:35 SENATOR TONYVARGAS WHOREPRESENTS SOUTHOMAHA IN THE 7THDISTRICT, AGREES.HE WOULD LIKE TOSEE MORE OF THEHEALTHCARERECOMMENDATIONSBECOMEREQUIREMENTS FORBUSINESSES.SEN.TONY VARGAS, 7THDISTRICT 39:52 I THINKTHOSE LISTS OFRECOMMENDATIONSCAN BEREQUIREMENTS.THIS IS A VERYIMPORTANT SPECIFICTIME.DIRECTED HEALTHMEASURES THAT WEHAD IN PLACE, WEREPUT IN PLACE TOPROTECT THE PUBLIC.WE CAN HAVE SIMILARMEASURES TOENSURE THATBUSINESSES, LIKE THEMEAT PACKINGPLANTS AND OTHERFOOD PROCESSINGPLANTS IN THISPANDEMIC TIME AREHAVING ELEVATEDHEALTH STANDARDS,REQUIRING SPECIFICAMOUNT OF SOCIALDISTANCING,SLOWING DOWNLINES, REQUIRINGPPE, REQUIRINGTEMPERATURECHECKS.40:17 SKOLKIN SAYSSOMETHING THEY'RESEEING A LOT OF WITHPATIENTS..IS FEAR.FEAR OF THE VIRUSFEAR OF BEINGASKING THEIRIMMIGRATION STATUSAND FEAR OF WHAT'STO COME.WHICH IS WHY SHEEMPHASIZESIMMIGRATION STATUSIS IRRELEVANT HERE..HEALTH IS PRIORITYNUMBER ONE.AND FOR THAT..SHE BELIEVES MOREINFORMATION INMULTIPLE LANGUAGESIS NEEDED.20:50 THERE REALLYISN'T ENOUGH OUTTHERE COMPARED TOWHAT'S GOING ON INTHE ENGLISHLANGUAGE.I WOULD SAY AS WELLAS AS THE ASIANCOMMUNITY, THEREISN'T HARDLYANYTHING.21:03 20:25 THERE'SSTILL PEOPLE WHOTHINK THEY DON'TNEED TO GET TESTEDAND PROBABLYSHOULD GET TESTED.20:31 IN OMAHA MAYASAENZ 3NNTHE NEBRASKANATIONAL GUARDTESTING WILLCONTINUE NEXTWEEK.THEY ARE TESTINGANYONE..BUT GIVING PRIORITYTO THOSE WHO ARESYMPTOMATIC ORWORK AT FOODPROCESSING PLANTS.