Only hours after Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert said she opposes another mask mandate for the city, a mandate is on its way.

Douglas County Health Director Lindsay Huse said today she is imposing a city-wide indoor mask mandate effective midnight tonight, lasting four weeks.

Stothert issued a statement last night that it “makes no sense” for a mask mandate in Omaha when people who live in Douglas and other nearby counties come to Omaha every day.

Gov. Pete Ricketts issued a statement that he remains adamantly opposed to mask mandates for Nebraskans. Ricketts says the Douglas County Health Department lacks the "legal authority" to impose the mandate and he is asking Attorney General Doug Peterson to consider legal action.

Huse made the announcement at today’s county board meeting, where at least one commissioner pushed back.

[See comments from Commissioner Mike Friend above]


Right now although 70 percent of the county is vaccinated, the number of positive Covid cases has jumped markedly in the last week.

As of yesterday the county reported that 23 staffed ICU hospital beds are currently available