LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts has limited public gatherings to 10 people in an effort to keep the coronavirus from spreading, even though it's likely to mean painful economic times and major disruption to people's lives.

Ricketts' announcement will force the cancellation of events statewide and many businesses will shut their doors as people hunker down to try to avoid catching COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus.

He says he was aligning the state with recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.