Coronavirus has yet to hit Lincoln, Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird said in a press conference Monday morning.

The city is monitoring 12 people due to travel history or expsoure to COVID-19. They've tested 23 people, who have all tested negative and have one test still pending.

Gaylor Baird said however, the viruses arrival in the city is inevitable.

"We face an extraordinary moment in history, one that is bringing extraordinary disruption to our lives," Gaylor Baird said.

To help address that disruption, Gaylor Baird declared a local emergency, and asked the Lincoln City Council to affirm her decision in their meeting Monday.

She said the declaration would give the city access to federal and state funding as well as emergency reserve funds and additional resources.

Gaylor Baird said the city will also abide by the CDC's guidelines that all events with 50 or more people be canceled for at least eight weeks.

This will not be enforced by law enforcement, rather they hope Lincoln citizens will step-up and self-regulate their events.

Rick Tast, with the city's law department, said they've had businesses already come forward and cancel events. He said McKinney's Pub was contacted by the city regarding their St. Patrick's day festival, and the Pub voluntarily decided to cancel the event.

Precautions like this, and changes other city departments are making to their procedures, are the best way to help slow the spread.

Department heads from agencies across the city explained precautions their taking.

Here's a press release detailing those precautions and changes you may notice:

Aging Partners

Aging Partners will close all its Senior Centers and the Fitness Center and cancel all event and training programming beginning Wednesday, March 18. The agency is working with Tabitha to deliver meals to the homes of the most frail seniors, and take these steps:

Considering options for pausing non-critical services so that those resources can be focused on COVID-19

Developing contingencies for access to meals for those seniors who are most vulnerable and who depend upon our senior centers for daily meals

Reaching out to elder clients to check on their future needs

Adapting the methods used to provide care management services to reduce the spread of virus to clients and staff, including less face-to-face and more telephone interaction.

“Seniors are of particular risk due to health conditions and age, and families should be planning how they will care for their loved ones if someone in the family becomes ill,” said Randy Jones, Aging Partners Director. “Friends, family and neighbors should check on the elderly regularly to make sure they are healthy. Other ways to help are to offer food and medication pick-up and delivery. The community depends upon those caregivers - whether family members or professionals - to continue their services if healthy, but also to plan on contingencies so that care can continue to be provided.”

For more information, visit aging.lincoln.ne.gov or call 402-441-7070.

Building and Safety

Over the next two weeks, the department plans to implement steps to reduce the need for people to visit the office. These include allowing electronic submittal of all applications and plans and conducting project-related meetings via remote video conferencing systems.

For more information visit lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: building) or call 402-441-7521.

Lincoln Electric System

LES asks that customers pay their bills online or by phone, mail or drop-box. Customers are urged to call LES at 402-475-4211 if they cannot pay their bill. LES has temporarily suspended disconnections for nonpayment, but the utility wants to help customers make payment arrangements, so they don’t get further behind.

For more information, visit LES.com or call 402-475-4211.

Lincoln City Libraries

All libraries remain open with regular hours, except for the Williams Branch in Arnold Elementary, which will remain closed as long as public schools are not in session. At the recommendation of the Health Department, all library programming has been cancelled until further notice. All due dates on library materials are being changed to May 1, so patrons do not need to get out to return items, and there is never a fine on youth materials.

“We are encouraging people to use our downloadable materials, using the Libby and Hoopla apps,” said Library Director Pat Leach. “Library staff is available to help get people started on those options. There's one particular resource on our website called Tumblebooks that reads books to children. That’s a great option for parents who will be working from home.”

For more information visit lincolnlibraries.org or call 402-441-8500.

Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department

The Health Department is the lead agency for the community’s coronavirus preparation and response. At this time, no changes are being made to the regular Health Department services such as immunization clinics, WIC services, and dental clinics.

For more information, visit health.lincoln.ne.gov or call 402-441-8006.

Lincoln Fire and Rescue and Lincoln Police Department

Communication Center employees will ask callers if the patient is experiencing a fever, cough or trouble breathing. If the answer is yes, the 911 operator will tell responders that a “doorway triage” must take place.

In a doorway triage situation, LFR will respond by having one provider go to the door in a mask, gown, eye protection and gloves. If able, the patient will be asked to come outside of the building to a cot and then into the ambulance for further treatment and evaluation. If that is not possible, two responders will go into the home to evaluate the patient in the same personal protective equipment (PPE). In an emergency, all members of the arriving medical personnel will respond inside the residence in PPE to take care of the patient.

For more information on LFR, visit fire.lincoln.ne.gov or call 402-326-1348.

In a doorway triage situation, LPD employees will attempt to limit the number of staff entering a building and to ensure PPE is worn.

For more information on LPD, visit lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: police) or call the non-emergency number at 402-441-6000. Call 911 for all emergencies.

Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department

The school age childcare programs that are implemented when LPS closes for breaks for snow days are available for those already enrolled in before- and after- school programs.

Full-day childcare services for students in kindergarten through fifth grade are available at Belmont and Calvert Recreation Centers with potential enrollment of 30 at Belmont and 30 at Calvert, and social distancing methods are being practiced these sites. The department will offer the program until advised to discontinue by the Health Department.

The Easterday Recreation Center is now closed because of their work with vulnerable populations. Programs that have been discontinued until further notice include preschool programs at Calvert and Irving Recreation Centers and the Pioneers Park Nature Center; adaptive recreation clubs; and Senior Ballroom dancing.

The adult volleyball games and upcoming youth flag football spring season are cancelled until further notice. The Hyde Observatory at Holmes Lake is cancelling all programming until further notice.

Interviews for summer employment will continue using telephone interviews or modified in-person interviews, with increased distance between staff and interviewees.

Many UNL students work at the departments Community Learning Center programs, and the number of UNL students who choose to leave Lincoln may impact the number of children that can be served.

For more information, visit parks.lincoln.ne.gov or call 402-441-7847.

Transportation:

All intelligent transportation systems such as traffic signals, message signs, and cameras can be operated remotely as needed. It is standard operating procedure to deploy on-call crews and contractors as required for any infrastructure emergency response.

For more information, visit transportation.lincoln.ne.gov or call 402-441-7711.

Utilities:

Some non-essential activities are being discontinued, including the meter replacement program and in-house meter reading. If customers are unable to pay their bill, they are urged to call Lincoln Water System (LWS) at 402-441-7551. LWS has temporarily suspended disconnections for nonpayment, but the utility wants to help customers make payment arrangements, so they don’t get further behind.

“We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our customers and provide them with clean, safe drinking water and essential sanitation,” said LTU Assistant Director of Utilities Donna Garden. “According to the EPA, there is no evidence of transmission of COVID-19 through water utilities. There is no reason to purchase bottled water or to boil water.”

For more information, visit water.lincoln.ne.gov or call 402-441-7551.

StarTran:

As a result of UNL and LPS closures, StarTran is modifying these route schedules:

* UNL bus routes 24-Holdrege and 25-Vine will operate on a reduced service schedule until this fall.

* UNL routes 22-NIC City and 23-NIC East will be suspended until further notice.

* Booster routes, which provide services to a number of LPS schools, will be suspended while LPS is closed.

Handivan services will continue as normal.

StarTran staff will continue to clean buses daily, and bus operators are equipped with hand sanitizer, disposable gloves, and masks. StarTran will soon be using an electrostatic sprayer and disinfectant spray to disinfect buses at the end of the day.

For more information, visit startran.lincoln.ne.gov or call 402-476-1234.