Nebraska governor refuses to issue safety measures even as outbreaks rise

[turbinetree]

By Josh Israel -April 21, 2020 3:06 PM

Gov. Pete Ricketts' request for a 'major federal disaster' declaration was approved weeks ago, but he is still refusing to issue a statewide stay-at-home order.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts said Monday he would still not issue a statewide stay-at-home order, even as two meatpacking communities reported hundreds of new COVID-19 cases in the past week alone.

Ricketts has encouraged residents to "stay home" amid the pandemic to prevent further spread but has so far refused to issue an official order forcing them to shelter in place.

According to the Omaha World-Herald, Hall and Dawson Counties — both home to major meatpacking facilities — have become "two of the nation's biggest hot spots" for the virus. With 171 new cases in Dawson since April 8 and 462 new cases in Hall during that same time frame, the two account for nearly 60% of the state's new cases.

Both were in the top 15 counties nationally for percentage growth over the past 10 days, according to the World-Herald's analysis.

https://americanindependent.com/pete-ricketts-coronavirus-nebraska-stay-at-home-order-meatpacking-gop-governor-covid-19/

Hey gov, its real simple you have two counties that have each one meat packing plants, and they have 60% of the known cases, with over 33 deaths in the state...................so..........1+1 = 2 ...................

[TheFarseer]

1. Dr Fauci said

Nebraska’s policy is not materially different from Stay at Home. Even if we had Stay at Home, meat packing plants would be considered exempt from the ban. The people to blame are workers that go to work sick, managers that don’t make them go home or folks even higher up the meat packing Chain of Command who set such a culture.

[Wellstone ruled]

2. Well if their Packinghouse workers were White,

this discussion would be mute.

[TheFarseer]

4. I could take that a lot of different ways

I think you might have called me a racist. Maybe you should explain your comment.

[Wellstone ruled]

5. If this was 1980 and the line workers

at that time were mostly Caucasian. Okay,if a pandemic as this would have happened,you know darn well,there would be PPE's and spacing rules in place for every worker on those lines.

As a person who worked in that Industry recalls,at the end of the shift,you and your Managers either hit the Bowling Alley or the Korner Bar for a cold one before heading home. Not anymore.

[TheFarseer]

6. OK, sorry I went there

This place gets me on edge sometimes! Yeah, it’s a lot more likely they would get protective gear and be allowed time off if they need it. That is true. I used to know white people that worked in packing plants. I was surprised when I looked it up just now that it’s only 7% white in packing plants and that was from 2017.

[Wellstone ruled]

7. Some what familiar

with two Packing Houses as well as the Communities in which they operate. It has been two years since last being in those Communities,but the last time,well,the Racial Slurs and Racial Threats were just pure Ugly. As I mentioned here on this board many months ago,just blown away by the locals as we stopped at a C-Store that a former Sales Associate managed,could not believe the actions of young and old yelling insults at people who did not have white skin. And the fellow that run this Store said,just another day and when he finds a sucker to buy their house,he was gone to never look back.

[Ms. Toad]

3. Yup. That's my other Republican governor

Not gonna brag on that one. He's an idiot - AND - he's making a mess of this particular crisis.

I don't think I've got relatives in that meat packing plant - but one who used to be is in Greeley (another hot spot). I think he's move up in management (and perhaps out of the industry altogether).

St. Francis has erected a negative-pressure respiratory care unit in a tent outside the emergency room, and Hannon said the hospital could add 28 beds, expanding to a capacity of 157 beds, to care for additional patients.

https://www.theindependent.com/news/local/our-resources-are-being-tested-grand-island-hospitals-icu-is-filling-up-fast/article_64456520-7e57-11ea-b157-8782540fe67f.html

- the hospital where my mother trained, and later worked as a nurse.

There are apparently 462 new (not total) cases in Hall County since 4/8.

Ugh.