LINCOLN- Just as in past years, local Covid-19 cases are on the rise as schools across the state welcome students for a new fall semester. Lancaster County reported 163 official cases last week, which is more than double the previous week and four times higher than the start of last month.

While the official number is certainly lower than this same time last year, officials believe this may be due to more people testing at home or not testing at all. On top of that, wastewater analysis has shown a steady rise in viral particles detected. While the level of particles detected hit a pandemic-low in July, with only 35,600 viral particles per liter of wastewater, that number jumped significantly to 412,900 last week.

"We know Covid-19 remains a risk for many people, and the shift we're seeing in our local situation is concerning," said Pat Lopez, Nebraska's Health Director, "We're working with the long-term care facilities to reduce transmission. We're also in communication with our hospital partners as we determine how the increase in Covid-19 activity may further impact the community."

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