Lincoln Public Schools Superintendent Steve Joel said although the risk dial was moving into the yellow, school officials will not yet resume full in-person high school instruction.

The district has a week of remote learning under its belt, he said, and schools are safe.

But he wants to avoid a disruption for families and school staff at this early juncture, he said.

Meanwhile, health officials have not discovered any outbreaks yet stemming from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln or other local universities, Lopez said.

The influx of cases the last two days remain under investigation by contact tracers, and health officials hope to have a clearer picture of the cause early next week, she said.

About 25% of the new cases this week have come in the 20-29 age group, she said. 

Health department staff hosted a virtual meeting with bar owners on Thursday to discuss strategies to mitigate transmission risk, and Lopez said her highlight from the call was when bar owners and operators shared their own best practices in ensuring patrons follow the directed health measures.