Douglas County Health Department volunteer Gail Dickel received a COVID-19 shot at a vaccination clinic at Christ Community Church in Omaha last week. Having vaccinated health care workers, the county is allotting most of its doses this week to people 75 and older, with a few hundred for front-line utility workers.
Sean Avedissian, an assistant professor at UNMC, gets a shot from Rachel Gregory-Sachs, a registered nurse with the Douglas County Health Department, during a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for health care workers and emergency personnel.
The Douglas County Health Department is working with Omaha judges and prosecutors on a plan to vaccinate judges, attorneys and other judicial system workers against COVID-19.
They are not among the priority groups currently slated to receive the very limited amount of vaccines being administered in Nebraska. But jail and some court officials in Omaha have been pressing for vaccinations so criminal trials and court hearings can resume.
“I have talked to district judges, county judges and also (Douglas County Attorney) Don Kleine, so we have a process in place where we are trying to address the judicial system at this time,” Douglas County Health Director Adi Pour told the Douglas County Board on Tuesday.
Most court proceedings in Omaha have been suspended because of COVID-19 risk. The resulting backlog of cases has, among other results, caused crowding at the Douglas County Jail while people accused of crimes await their day in court. The crowding has eased somewhat with the recent completion of renovation projects, the use of virtual court hearings and other efforts, but the jail population is close to capacity and running unusually high for this time of year, Douglas County Corrections Director Mike Myers told the board.
“Those charged with more serious, violent offense are often awaiting hearings which must be held in person,” Myers said. “There are a finite number of beds which can be used to house maximum security inmates, and as those cases continue to stack up, you will be faced with difficult choices in order to try to maintain the highest level of safety and security possible.”
He said judicial officials have “identified widespread use of the vaccines within the justice system as a linchpin for restoring their functions.”
“We continue to advocate for the justice system to receive vaccinations as soon as possible,” Myers said.
In its phased plan, the State of Nebraska is currently limiting vaccinations mainly to people 65 and over and certain other groups, such as law enforcement officers. Douglas County is mainly vaccinating people over 75 years old because they are the most vulnerable to COVID-19, but has begun including law enforcement and is about to start allotting about 10% of its doses — about 800 this week — to utility workers who come in contact with the public, Pour told the board.
County Board member Jim Cavanaugh pressed the health director for details on judicial system vaccinations.
“They are indicating that they will be in trial in March,” said Cavanaugh, an attorney whose wife works in the Douglas County Public Defender’s Office. “Is there a timeline that would get the criminal justice system — I mean we’re not talking thousands of people, we’re talking hundreds of people — vaccinations in order to allow trials and jury panels to sit in March?”
“Like I said, commissioner, we are in discussion with them and they are prioritizing who is important for them to be vaccinated,” Pour replied. “We are working with them.”
Our best Omaha staff photos of February 2021
An ice jam forms on the Platte River west of the Highway 77 bridge near Fremont on Monday. Observers in eastern Nebraska will be looking out for signs of flooding as the weather warms up. “We’re just waiting to see how the snow will melt over the next couple of days,” said hydrologist David Pearson of the National Weather Service office in Valley. “We’ll be watching closely.”
Omaha Skutt's Adam Kruse, left, and Gothenberg's Abe Mendez, right, wrestle during a Class B 138 pound match.
Millard South's Joel Adams celebrates after defeating North Platte's Darian Diaz during the Class A 138 pound championship match.
A few snowflakes fell in Omaha on Wednesday.
Creighton's Greg McDermott congratulates Denzel Mahoney on a made 3-pointer against Villanova.
Gretna's John Weed, facing, and Millard South's Antrell Taylor compete in the first round of the 160 pound, Class A state wrestling tournament in Omaha on Wednesday.
Frost collects on a sheet of ice in a parking lot in South Omaha on Tuesday. Omaha set a record low on Tuesday, dipping to 23 degrees below zero.
PJ Smith, an administrator at Grand Island Northwest, helps set up mats on Tuesday for the state wrestling tournament at the CHI Health Center. The tournament starts today and runs through Saturday. Read more in Sports.
Dr. Michael Howard listens to the heart of Bella, a Boston terrier puppy at Best Care Pet Hospital In Omaha on Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Bella was anesthetized before power was cut to the south Omaha neighborhood where they are located because of extreme temperatures in the region. Omaha's low Dr. Howard was prepping to spay Bella by window light before the power did come back on. They had performed one surgery with no power already that morning.
Neymar walks around in a sweater after a power outage at Best Care Pet Hospital at 3030 L Street on Tuesday, February 16, 2021. Extreme temperatures forces rolling blackouts in the area.
Sunlight filters through the steam as cars head east on Leavenworth Street towards 16th Street as the low in the area was close to 20 degrees below zero on Tuesday, February 16, 2021.
Steam rises out of the Missouri River around the Interstate 480 bridge as viewed from Tom Hanafan River's Edge Park in Council Bluffs early Tuesday, Feb. 16. Lows in the Omaha metro area were around 23 degrees below zero. The steam caused icy roads and the temporary closure of the bridge.
Owner Gary Wrenn moves catfish filets from the cornmeal dredge to the fryers at Cajun Kitchen on 30th and Maple Streets in Omaha on Monday.
Firefighters work to put out a fire in an apartment building at 10th and William Street in Omaha on Monday.
Omaha's Matt Miller (27) moves behind the net, near Colorado College's Matthew Gleason (15), Brian Hawkinson (29) and Matt Vernon (30) in the Colorado College vs. Omaha hockey game at the Baxter Arena in Omaha on Friday. The Mavericks won the game 7-1.
Erin Gramke gives Sigurd Sorenson his second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the VA Medical Center in Omaha on Thursday. Sorenson, 84, served in the Army.
Rev. Ralph Lassiter sits inside Kohl's Pharmacy during the observation period after his second COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday. Rev. Lassiter wants to set a good example for his community by receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and stressing its' safety.
The Bellevue West bench celebrates a three-pointer in the Waukee vs. Bellevue West boys basketball game on Tuesday. Bellevue West won the game 74-60.
Hand-painted bonbons for a Valentine's Day special are flavored with, from left, raspberry, passion fruit, vanilla bean salted caramel and milk chocolate, from Sugar Makery BitterSweet in Council Bluffs.
A Gibson Les Paul is one of more than 70 guitars in the exhibit.
A crane lifts a small plane that had its landing gear collapse while landing at Eppley Airfield on Friday. Two people were on board the plane; neither was injured.
Creighton's Damien Jefferson is called for a foul against Georgetown's Jamorko Pickett at CHI HealthCenter on Wednesday, February 03, 2021.
Avante Dickerson talks to members of the media after he announced he was signing to play football at the University of Oregon at Omaha Westside High School on Wednesday, February 3, 2021.
Rime ice forms on the trees at the Chalco Hills Recreation Area on Tuesday, February 02, 2021.
Two people jog around Prairie Queen Recreation Area as a freezing fog covers the region on Tuesday, February 02, 2021.
Frost hangs onto a fence in Omaha on Tuesday, February 02, 2021.
chris.burbach@owh.com, 402-444-1057, twitter.com/CHRISBURBACH
Chris Burbach
Chris Burbach covers the Douglas County Board, Planning Board and other local government bodies, as well as local neighborhood issues. Follow him on Twitter @chrisburbach. Phone: 402-444-1057.
