RICKETTS CHALLENGED ON RADIO SHOW TO MANDATE MASKS

LINCOLN - Gov. Pete Ricketts was challenged Monday during his monthly call-in radio show to mandate the wearing of masks in public to better protect Nebraskans from COVID-19 and apply the brakes to spread of the virus before it breaks loose as it has in other states.

"Wouldn't it make sense if everybody just wore a mask?" Ann in Lincoln told the governor.

"If everybody wears a mask, you almost completely control the spread," she said.

Wearing a mask is "just one tool," along with social distancing and repeated hand-washing that's most effective in controlling the virus, Ricketts said, and "I think we get better compliance if you don't make it a mandate."

Ricketts pointed to declining coronavirus hospitalization numbers in Nebraska to argue that the state has been successful in slowing the spread of the virus while maintaining its ability to respond to any needs for hospital beds, intensive care unit beds and ventilators.

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