Douglas County vaccine distribution confusion

Why the governor said Douglas County failed to follow guidelines when vaccinating a specific group of people and deprived another.

Plus, who's eligible for vaccinations starting on Monday.

THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION3TODAY OVER WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR A3VACCINE AND WHO ISN'T IN DOUGLAS3COUNTY.3IT INVOLVES REPORTS OF3TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANIES3VACCINATING ALL THEIR EMPLOYEES3EVEN THOUGH THEY DO NOT BELONG3IN THE "CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE3UTILITY CATEGORY."3GOVERNOR RICKETTS IS3CALLING IT A BIG MISTAKE.3 NEWS NOW REPORTER RUTA3ULCINAITE JOINS US LIVE FROM THE3NEWSROOM, RUTA WHAT IS THE3COUNTY SAYING?3COURTNEY, THE DOUGLAS3COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS3IT'S A BIG MISUNDERSTANDING AND3THEY WERE INITIALLY UNDER THE3IMPRESSION THAT THOSE THAT3WORKED IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS3ááDID FALL INTO THE CRITICAL3INFRASTRUCTURE CATEGORY AND THAT3THEY'RE NOT THE ONLY LOCAL3HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT THOUGHT3THAT.3"THAT'S A HUGE MISTAKE ON3DOUGLAS COUNTY'S PART."3GOVERNOR RICKETTS EXPRESSING HIS3FRUSTRATION FRIDAY AFTER REPORTS3SURFACED OF TELECOMMUNICATION3COMPANIES, LIKE COX, FULLY3VACCINATING THEIR EMPLOYEES IN3DOUGLAS COUNTY.3RICKETTS3"WE TOLD THEM WEEKS AGO THAT3TELECOMS WERE NOT PART OF3UTILITIES AND FOR WHATEVER3REASON THEY DECIDED TO GO3FORWARD WITH TELECOM COMPANIES.3THAT IS OUTSIDE THE GUIDELINES,3THEY'RE MAKING A MISTAKE AND3THAT'S ACTUALLY TAKING AWAY3VACCINES FROM THOSE VULNERABLE3PEOPLE WHO WERE TRYING TO FOCUS3ON."3(GFX)3ON THE STATE'S WEBSITE AT THE3END OF FEBRUARY THEY HAD3PRIORITIZED "CRITICAL3INFRASTRUCTURE" IN GROUP 1B OF3VACCINATIONS.3(GFX)3ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF3HOMELAND SECURITY, "CRITICAL3INFRASTRUCTURE" WORKERS INCLUDES3THOSE IN COMMUNICATIONS AND3INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.3(GFX)3BUT NOW THE STATE áHAS UPDATED3THEIR PRIORITIZATION LIST TO BE3MORE SPECIFIC WHEN MENTIONING3CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE,3LABELING ONLY UTILITY WORKERS3LIKE THOSE WORKING WITH POWER,3WATER AND GAS AND ááNOT3TELECOMMUNICATION WORKERS.3DOUGLAS COUNTY SAYS THAT UPDATE3IS WHERE THAT MISCOMMUNICATION3HAPPENED, AND THAT OTHER HEALTH3DEPARTMENTS ARE IN FACT3VACCINATING TELECOMMUNICATION3WORKERS AS WELL.3RICKETTS3"WE'RE FOLLOWING UP WITH DOUGLAS3COUNTY IN REGARDS TO WHY THEY3DECIDED TO GO OUTSIDE THE3GUIDELINES TO DO TELECOM3WORKERS.

I THINK IT WAS A3MISUNDERSTANDING ON THEIR PART."3DOUGLAS COUNTY SAYS NOT ALL OF3THEIR APPOINTMENTS ARE BEING3FILLED UP SO THEY HAVE BEEN3EXPANDING VACCINATIONS SAYING3QUOTE...3(GFX)3"WE WILL LEAVE NO VACCINE ON THE3SHELF AND STRIVE TO FILL EVERY3AVAILABLE CLINIC APPOINTMENT."3MOST OF THE STATE áIS EXPANDING3VACCINATION EFFORTS STARTING3MONDAY.3IN A STATEMENT PROVIDED TO3 NEWS NOW - COX SAYS THEY3"SUPPORT THE áDEPARTMENT OF3HOMELAND SECURITY GUIDELINES FOR3CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE AND3ESSENTIAL WORKERS, WHICH HAS3BEEN ADOPTED IN MANY OF THE3STATES WHERE COX OPERATES."3BUT AGAIN ACCORDING TO THE3GOVERNOR, NOT HERE IN NEBRASKA.3STARTING ON MONDAY NEBRASKA WILL3MOVE ONTO PHASE "TWO A" OF3VACCINATIONS STATEWIDE.

THAT3INCLUDES THOSE BETWEEN THE AGES3OF 50 TO 64.3STATE OFFICIALS SAY ABOUT300 AND 50 THOUSAND PEOPLE FALL3INTO THIS AGE CATEGORY.3REPORTING FROM THE3NEWSROOM, I'M RUTA ULCINAITE.3WHILE THE GOVERNOR3ANNOUNCED THOSE BETWEEN 50 AND364 CAN START GETTING VACCINATED3MONDAY... AND THERE IS IMPORTANT3CLARIFICATION FOR PEOPLE LIVING3IN DOUGLAS COUNTY.3IN DOUGLAS COUNTY IT'S ONLY3PEOPLE WHO ARE 60 AND OLDER WHO3QUALIFY FOR THE VACCINE.3COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THEY3DON'T HAVE ENOUGH VACCINES TO3OPEN UP TO THE LARGER AGE GROUP3OF PEOPLE 50 AND OLDER.3AS ALWAYS, IF YOU HAVE3QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT WHEN3YOU CAN GET YOUR VACCINE JUST3HEAD TO THE STATE VACCINATION3WEBSITE AND SIGN UP TO BE3NOTIFIED WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN.3áááWE ALSO HAVE ALL OF THE3MOST RECENT VACCINE INFORMATION