LINCOLN — About 90% of the nation’s population will be under stay-at-home orders by the end of the weekend to stem the spread of the coronavirus. But Gov. Pete Ricketts repeated Thursday that he’s not joining the crowd, despite urging from some fellow governors.

“Our plan is the right thing for us in Nebraska,” he said. “We need to do what’s right for Nebraska.”

That, so far, has been to order, county by county, directed health measures when the number of community spread cases of coronavirus reaches a certain threshold within a given public health district. Governors of 38 states have issued statewide shelter-in-place orders, telling residents to stay put except for essential errands. On Wednesday, one of those state executives, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, urged governors of Nebraska, Iowa and the 10 other states that have not followed suit to join them.

Dr. James Lawler, a key adviser to the governor and an infectious disease authority at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said a stay-at-home or shelter-in-place mandate is not needed “at this point in time.” Dr. Gary Anthone, the state’s chief medical officer, also said he firmly backs the governor’s approach.

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