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LINCOLN — It’s crunch time when it comes to complying with the state’s social distancing guidelines, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Wednesday, again urging Nebraskans to maintain 6-foot distances and avoid gatherings of more than 10 people to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“Right now is the time. We need everyone to participate,” Ricketts said. “Folks, by and large, are complying with it, but we’ve got to do better.”

The state now has 56 of its 93 counties under directed health measures. They include requirements, enforceable by law, that sit-down areas of bars and restaurants close and convert to takeout and delivery only, and that public gatherings be limited to 10 or fewer people.

More than 83% of the state’s population is under such limits.

On Wednesday, as the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases climbed past 200, 15 more counties were added to the list of counties under directed health measures, and residents in the rest of the state were urged to follow the restrictions voluntarily.

Ricketts acknowledged that the state is “months” away from having the kind of widespread testing available to conduct a random test of Nebraskans to determine the precise extent of the coronavirus epidemic.