OMAHA - Only 11% of the state’s population is Latino. But those Nebraskans account for half of the coronavirus cases for which ethnic information was collected, as well as 40% of the hospitalizations and one in every five deaths.

Dannette Smith, CEO of Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services, acknowledged that the state’s information is incomplete. No racial or ethnic information was collected on about 30% of coronavirus cases. In another 10% or so, race or ethnicity was listed as unknown. Smith stated, “This is the first time, to my knowledge, we have concentrated on making sure that we are collecting racial and ethnic data.”

Nebraska remains one of only two states that do not regularly report statewide data on coronavirus cases broken down by race and ethnicity, although both the Douglas County Health Department and Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department have posted such data.

Read the full article HERE