'I think it is somewhat reckless': Doctors react as Nebraska does away with COVID-19 dashboard The dashboard is no longer available as of June 30 Share Updated: 10:40 PM CDT Jul 7, 2021 The dashboard is no longer available as of June 30 Share Updated: 10:40 PM CDT Jul 7, 2021 Hide Transcript Show Transcript PEOPLE NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON DELTA AND WITHOUT THE STATE. FORD THAT’LL WILL BE HARDER TO DO. FOR MONTHS STATE AND COUNTY DASHBOARDS HAVE TRACKED THE UPS AND DOWNS OF COVID-19 CASES AND THE GROWING NUMBER OF VACCINATIO,NS DR. MARK RUPP WITH UNMC CLSAL THE FREELY AVAILABLE INFORMATION ONE OFHE T BETTER PARTS OF THE PANDEMIC ANYBODY IN THE PLIUBC CAN EASILY GO ON THOSE DASHBOARDS AND SEE WHAT THE RATE IS AND WHAT’S GOING ON IN THEIRWN O COMMUNITIES. I THINK THAT’S VITALLY IMPORTANT, BUT NOW THE STATE OF NEBRASKA’S DASHBOARD IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE TAKEN DOWN ONE WEEK AGO IN CONJUNCONTI WITH THE END OF NEBRASKA STATE OF URGENCY, I’M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THAT DECISION TO CLOSE THE DASHBOARD. I THINK IT IS. REALLY GOING TO SET US BACK, I THINK. WHAT RECKLESS NEW NUMBERS FROM THE CDC SHOW THE MORE CONTAGIOUS DELTA VARIANT IS NOW THE DOMINANT STRAIN. US AS DELTA SPREADSUP RP SAYS TAKING DOWN THE STATE’S DASHARBOD IS PREMATURE. THIS IS HAPPENING AT A BAD TIME AS THE DELTA VARNTIA COMES IN TO THENTA SRT TO FLY BLIND, AND IT’S JUST SO UNNECESSARY BECAUSE THE SYSTEM WAS WORKING WELL TO TRACK THE DATA TO REPORT THE DATA A THINK IT’S REALLY UNFORTUNATELY SHORTSIGHTED IN RESPONSE TO AN INQUIRY FROM KET. V NEWSWATCH7, NEBRASKA DHHS SAID ALL DATES THROUGH ITS PUBLIC RECORDS DEPARTMENT AND DIRECTED US TO AN EMAIL. REACHEDUT O ASKING FOR COVID-19 CASE AND VACCINATION NUMBERS OVERHE T LAST WEEK SCEIN THE DASHBOARD WENT AWAY. WE RECEIVED THIS RESPONSE QUOTE URYO REQUEST MUST BE RESPECTFULLY DENIED ANDHE T COVID-19 CASE AND VACCINATION DATA IS WITHHELD. MEANWHILE, DOUGLAS COUNTY’S DASHBOARD IS STILL ACTIVE. GETTING UPDATED OR CONTINUING WE DON’T HAVE ANY PLANS TO TAKE IT DOWN. WE’RE NOT THIS ISN’T OVER. THAT’S DOUGLAS COUNTY HEAHLT SENIOR EPIDEMIOLOGIST, DR. ANN O’KEEFE. WE HAVE SEENN A INCREASE IN CASES LAST WEEK OVER THE WEEK BEFORE LIKE A 40% INCREASE IN DOUGLAS COUNTY. SO IT’S REALLY IMPORTANTOR F US TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND THEN TO SHARET I AND ACCORDING TO BHOT O’KEEFE AND RUPP THESE RISING CASES OF THE DELTA VARIANT ARE PREVENTABLE WITH CCINES. IN A NEWS RELEASE, NEBRASKA DHS DIDIS LT THREE OTHER WEBSITES PEOPLE CAN CHECK FOR COVID-19 INFORMATION, BUT DHHS WAS CLEAR THOSE WEBSITES ARE NOT ITS RESPONSIBILITY SINCE THE STETA WOULD NOT PROVIDE US WITH UPDATED NUMBERS TODAY. WE ASKED IF THEY ARE PROVIDING UPDATED DATA TO THOSE THREE WEBSITES, AND WE DID NOT GET A RESPONSE TO THAT QUESTION TONI