March 12 then and now: A retrospective look at an impossible year

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department has moved their COVID-19 risk dial to the green setting, the lowest risk level available.

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department extended their mask mandate Tuesday through Feb. 25 as the county's COVID-19 risk dial remained in a red position for the sixth week in a row.

Four KN95 masks per person will be made available at no cost to all students, faculty and staff by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln through a partnership with the State of Nebraska according to a press release from Leslie Reed, UNL’s public affairs director.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will be moving to random mitigation testing for all students, faculty and staff regardless of vaccination status starting the week of Jan. 30, according to a Nebraska Today news release. Those selected to participate in random testing will be notified via e…

Multiple clusters of COVID-19 cases have been identified on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s campus, but university officials declined to release where they are, how many there are and how large they are. 

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department announced Friday it will reinstate an indoor mask mandate amid a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. 

As University of Nebraska-Lincoln students return to campus for the spring 2022 semester amid the university’s own mask mandate, the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department is warning of worsening conditions of COVID-19.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced updated COVID-19 protocols for the spring semester Wednesday morning as the omicron variant rapidly spreads around the country.

Lancaster County’s current directed health measure and related mask mandate due to COVID-19 will end on Dec. 23, according to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department. 

Chancellor Ronnie Green announced Wednesday new COVID-19 safety measures for the upcoming spring semester, including changes to the Safer Community app and COVID-19 testing protocols.

Lincoln’s mask mandate has been extended until Dec. 23, according to a news conference from the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department Director Pat Lopez and Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird.

The county’s current mask mandate will be extended through Nov. 24, with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln following as well. The mandate had been set to expire on Thursday, Oct. 28. 

Speakers questioned University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 protocols at an event entitled “Candid COVID Conversations” in the Nebraska East Union hosted by UNL’s chapter of Turning Point USA. 

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln, in response to the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department’s extending of its indoor mask mandate to Oct. 28, will continue to require masks indoors for all faculty, staff, students and visitors until at least that date.

In a little over a year of nasal swabs, spit tubes and mandatory re-entry testing for COVID-19, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has administered over 200,000 tests as officials have adapted testing protocols to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Chancellor Ronnie Green announced Tuesday afternoon that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will implement an indoor mask mandate effective Wednesday, Aug. 25, due to rising COVID-19 cases.

Chancellor Ronnie Green announced Wednesday morning instances that face coverings may be required for specific classes or academic activities five days ahead of the start of the 2021-22 academic year.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced updated COVID-19 guidelines for the fall semester on Friday, including re-entry testing for all faculty, staff and students regardless of vaccination status. 

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise nationwide due to the Delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a new recommendation in certain areas for face coverings for all people no matter their vaccination status. 

Update: At 9:59 p.m. on Saturday, May 1, the university tweeted the fraternity's quarantine had been lifted following updated guidance from the health department.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced Thursday it will host a second vaccination clinic on Monday, May 3. 

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln confirmed a COVID-19 outbreak at the Alpha Phi sorority Wednesday.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department officials said they see light at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic tunnel due to a vaccination clinic held at the Coliseum Tuesday.

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department announced Tuesday it will immediately pause administration of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination due to rare and severe blood clots reported in six recipients nationwide.

Vaccination clinics through the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department this week will provide vaccination opportunities for younger individuals, including some of the general University of Nebraska-Lincoln student body later this week.

After announcing a COVID-19 vaccine registry for all university employees in February, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln released a registry for all students on Thursday. 

All University of Nebraska-Lincoln students will be able to register for a COVID-19 vaccination beginning today, according to a statement from Chancellor Ronnie Green Thursday morning. 

While many University of Nebraska-Lincoln students have not seen their academic performance suffer as a result of a remote learning environment, tight budgets and reduced opportunities have impacted the administrative side of academics.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will begin participating in virus sequencing of positive on-campus COVID-19 saliva samples to track the spread of potential COVID-19 variants.

When the University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced it would shift classes online on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, faculty, staff and students had to quickly pivot to new ways of learning. 

While the moment itself is only a pinprick, rolling a sleeve up for a COVID-19 vaccine can provide safety and peace of mind to those lucky enough to receive the shot. 

In the first month of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s mandatory random mitigation COVID-19 testing, the university’s weekly positivity rate has remained steadily below 1%.

For a virus, the typical college campus from before the pandemic looks like a theme park with plenty of people to infect and more than enough contact to keep spreading. 

On April 6, 1999, Ted Carter led his first mission as a navy pilot to destroy fuel containers that Serbians were using for ethnic cleansing of Albanians in Kosovo.

On March 11, 2020, news notifications chimed and lit up on phones and laptops across the globe, alerting people that the World Health Organization had elevated COVID-19 to a global pandemic. 

On this special Daily Nebraskan podcast, COVID-19 section co-editors Zach Wending and David Berman sit down with 2019-2020 editor-in-chief Karissa Schmidt, current editor-in-chief Grace Gorenflo and general manager Allen Vaughan to discuss how the publication adapted to the pandemic in the l…

2019

Editor’s note: Senior culture editor Mark Champion is a collaborator for The Mez. He had no role in the editing or reporting of this story.

The coronavirus began impacting the other side of the world in late 2019, but University of Nebraska-Lincoln administrators diligently planned as the virus spread.

All over campus the past year, UNL staff adjusted, adapted and made sacrifices to meet the new challenges presented by the pandemic. 

I never considered myself the kind of person to sleep through an apocalypse. But on March 12, 2020, that’s exactly what I did.

One year ago, life as we knew it at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln flipped upside down.

The arrival of a courier at the Nebraska Veterinary Diagnostic Center on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus is the overture of a three-act performance.

 The COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on many jobs for students, but it has created new opportunities for those seeking experience in health care. With the recent addition of saliva-based COVID-19 testing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, student workers are given the chance …

Editor’s Note: This story was updated at 5:45 p.m. on Feb. 24 to include additional information from Charlie Francis regarding access to isolation housing in Selleck and use of Selleck Dining.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln employees who live or work in Lancaster County, including student workers, can now sign up to be vaccinated, Chancellor Ronnie Green announced Tuesday evening. 

For Lincoln and Lancaster County residents, daily life is in the early stages of returning to normal thanks to the COVID-19 vaccine rollout across the state. 

Chancellor Ronnie Green announced Monday that the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will adopt weekly COVID-19 random mitigation testing following successful re-entry testing.

As part of our Curious Cornhuskers initiative, a student asked The Daily Nebraskan, “How does [the University of Nebraska-Lincoln] justify charging the same rates for tuition/fees while offering fewer opportunities in and out of the classroom due to COVID-19?”

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Feb. 24 to include updated data from UNL’s COVID-19 Dashboard.

When the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign shut down its campus in spring 2020, administrators immediately started planning for a safe return to in-person classes in the fall. Consulting the university’s epidemiologists, biophysicists and experts in digital infrastructure, they work…

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Feb. 24 to include updated data from UNL’s COVID-19 Dashboard.

To enter University of Nebraska-Lincoln facilities this semester, community members must first show proof of a negative test to wellness attendants stationed around campus.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced Wednesday that students, faculty and staff will need to complete a third round of testing to maintain their campus building access.

During the first two rounds of re-entry testing for the spring semester, University of Nebraska-Lincoln students who previously tested positive for COVID-19 are testing positive again — even though they are not actively positive. 

After more than two months away from campus, University of Nebraska-Lincoln students returned for their second full semester of learning impacted by COVID-19. 

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Feb. 24 to include updated data from UNL’s COVID-19 Dashboard.

With the continued impact of the coronavirus worldwide, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has made a few changes to support in-person activities for the spring 2021 semester.

As the spring semester approaches, Chancellor Ronnie Green detailed on Monday how updated COVID-19 protocols for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will work for the spring. 

The coronavirus has impacted the way of life at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and that will continue into the spring 2021 semester. But a group of faculty, staff and students aims to build upon the successes of the fall semester and improve the UNL experience further.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Faculty Senate approved a resolution on Dec. 1 encouraging faculty to consider curricular adjustments for the spring 2021 semester. 

UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green announced enhanced COVID-19 measures for the Spring 2021 semester on Wednesday following the continued intensity of the pandemic. 

As part of our initiative called Curious Cornhuskers, an anonymous reader sent in a video circulating on Twitter which showed large gatherings in celebration of the Husker football team’s game against Penn State University over the weekend and asked “What fraternities were involved and how w…

As part of our initiative called Curious Cornhuskers, an anonymous reader asked, “Are there any updates on the Pass/No Pass policy for the fall 2020 semester?”

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will complete the fall semester uninterrupted despite an indication of a “severe” risk of spread of the coronavirus in the Lincoln community.

With a global pandemic, nationwide social justice movements and a national election occurring this semester, students have a lot on their plate next to the normal stresses of classes and work.

As part of our initiative called Curious Cornhuskers, an anonymous reader asked The Daily Nebraskan, “Why can't we sit in the booths in the Union? How is sitting in a booth worse than sitting at a table?"

Due to concerns about potential COVID-19 spread in the Lincoln area, University of Nebraska-Lincoln leaders are currently reviewing all previously approved events. 

Mask mandates, social distancing, canceled events and small gatherings are a new normal during the coronavirus pandemic. 

With the upcoming cold winter months, university leaders have been working to make sure the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community is prepared for the spring semester. 

As the winter months approach, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is faced with a new challenge in the fight to track and slow COVID-19 transmission.

With Halloween fast approaching, many University of Nebraska-Lincoln students and Lincoln residents look forward to celebrating the holiday with friends and family. 

With Nebraska football kicking off this weekend against the Ohio State Buckeyes, many Huskers fans will want to carry out typical game day traditions, such as tailgating and watch parties. 

Four weeks into the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s randomized mitigation testing for COVID-19, university leaders are looking to increase participation.

An Alpha Omicron Pi Parent’s Day event planned to occur during Saturday’s Husker football game has been canceled by the university.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic swept the country in March, nearly 22 million American jobs have been lost. In the months since the initial lockdown, people have attempted to return to a sense of normalcy, but the country is still recovering with 10.7 million jobs short.

As students are getting ready to start their day, researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln are hard at work collecting wastewater samples.

With more than 1 million deaths caused by COVID-19 and 40 million positive cases globally, the physical toll of the virus has been immense. The mental toll has also been substantial, as the uncertainty created by the pandemic has caused numerous mental health side effects. 

The building currently known as Neihardt Residence Hall housed students for about 87 years before closing its doors to students in 2019. In March, the Piper wing of Neihardt transitioned to fulfill a new purpose: isolation housing for students who test positive for COVID-19. 

As part of our initiative called Curious Cornhuskers, an anonymous reader asked The Daily Nebraskan, “Did anything become of the petition for [the University of Nebraska-Lincoln] to switch to remote learning? How many signatures? Did UNL administration address the petition?"

As the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the federal government provided no exact plan on what to do.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials announced Friday morning that all six temporary suspensions of Greek houses issued on Sept. 7 have ended.

The University Health Center started its annual flu shot clinics Wednesday with a myriad of adaptations for COVID-19, including no more walk-in appointments and a change of location to the Campus Recreation Center. More changes were made to the structure of the clinics based on student feedb…

University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials identified a cluster of seven positive COVID-19 cases at the Phi Kappa Theta fraternity Wednesday.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln officials identified a cluster of six positive COVID-19 cases on the first floor of the Eastside Suites Friday. 

At about 5 a.m. every morning, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green wakes up and spends the first few hours of his day thinking about the world, reading and reflecting.

Representatives of Student Affairs emphasized the importance of community and answered questions from student leaders at a town hall Thursday evening.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced Wednesday there are no longer any group quarantines related to COVID-19 on campus, according to Nebraska Today.

In the first month of the semester, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Greek houses have had to navigate keeping members safe from the COVID-19 pandemic while residing in on-campus houses and conducting normal Greek activities. 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green announced plans for randomized testing of students, faculty and staff in a letter Friday morning.

Six University of Nebraska-Lincoln Greek houses have been placed on temporary suspension effective immediately following large gatherings Monday night, according to Nebraska Today.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln community has a lot of questions, and The Daily Nebraskan has answers. Using this page, we will continue to update you on campus happenings by answering the questions you asked us and providing any other information we find valuable.