LINCOLN- As large portions of Nebraska’s long-term care staff remain unvaccinated against COVID-19, nursing facilities will have to require their workers to get vaccinated if they want federal Medicare and Medicaid funding.

Federal data show that one-third of all Nebraska nursing home staff — some 5,400 workers — are not vaccinated against COVID-19.

At least 33 of the state’s nearly 200 federally licensed nursing homes have staff vaccination rates under 50%, federal figures show.

In announcing the federal requirement Wednesday, President Joe Biden said the pace of vaccinations needs to go faster. “These steps are all about keeping people safe and out of harm’s way,” Biden said.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, at least 850 nursing home residents in Nebraska and eight workers have died of COVID-19.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts’ office issued a statement saying that the governor “slams President Biden’s nursing home vaccine mandate.” In his statement, Ricketts said that “the heavy hand of government should not force vaccinations” and that the requirement will “make it more difficult to take care of our elderly and most vulnerable.”

In the last six weeks, six Nebraska nursing home residents have died from COVID-19.

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