LINCOLN Eleven state employees and one patient at the Lincoln Regional Center have tested positive for the coronavirus, a state official confirmed Tuesday.

Khalilah LeGrand, a spokeswoman for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, said more cases are expected to be found as testing continues with patients and staff at the state psychiatric hospital.

The hospital is the latest state institution to be hit by the potentially deadly virus. In April, six workers and three teenagers tested positive for the coronavirus at the Youth Treatment and Rehabilitation Center-Kearney, an HHS facility for juvenile offenders.

More recently, seven inmates from the Community Corrections Center in Omaha have tested positive, as have 14 corrections employees from multiple state prisons.

LeGrand said the regional center outbreak began May 21, when officials were notified that a staff member had tested positive. She said the employee in question had no symptoms upon arriving to work that day, based on a routine temperature check and symptom screening, and had no contact with patients.

However, based on the work of contact tracers and advice from medical officials, HHS officials decided to test staff and patients out of an abundance of caution, she said. So far, 320 employees and patients have been tested with help from the National Guard. Additional testing is planned for Wednesday.

LeGrand said the 11 employee cases were traced primarily to four specific exposure incidents. She said one patient is known to be positive so far. She said staff with potential exposure have been asked to self-quarantine. Accommodations have been provided for those employees who need to quarantine away from a high-risk household member.

On Friday, HHS CEO Dannette Smith denied that the patient with the coronavirus had been transported with another patient. She said the two were transported separately and had no interaction.

Smith said HHS officials are taking steps to reduce the potential for spread of the coronavirus in the regional center, including trying to minimize the number of employees who work in multiple buildings and providing masks and other protective equipment as appropriate. Staff are checking patients temperatures three times a day.

The regional center has struggled in recent years with a shortage of staff and high turnover levels.

Masks made by Ann Kane and her family.

Ann Kane and her family are producing masks. Everyone has a job.

Ann Kane and her family have made around 200 masks.

UNMC med student Nate Mattison works on his laptop at his apartment near downtown Omaha.

A bottle of Purell sits on a kitchen countertop as UNMC med student Nate Mattison works on his laptop. Mattison is one of a handful of UNMC students who have stepped up fill various nonprofit needs. Mattison has signed up to be a Big Brother and is currently waiting to be paired up.

Mattison is one of a handful of UNMC students who have stepped up to fill the needs of various nonprofits.

Matt Van Zante prints parts for face shields in his basement.

A 3D printer prints parts for face shields.

Matt Van Zante is among a group making face shields for personal protective equipment for medical personnel.

Matt Van Zante shows off one of the finished face shields he helped make.

Matt Van Zante shows off a finished face shield.

A 3D printer prints parts for face shields in Matt Van Zante's basement.

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11 employees and 1 patient test positive for COVID-19 at Lincoln Regional Center - Omaha World-Herald