Administrators Explain Current COVID Actions

Hospital and school administrators have made a joint announcement with regard to the rapidly increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the Superior area:

Nuckolls County Sees Increase in COVID Positive Cases

Superior, Ne – “Like much of Nebraska, we have been experiencing an increase in the number of positive cases in our school, specifically among our athletes. At this time, the specific origin of these cases is unknown. The School Board, Administration and myself are taking this very seriously and making decisions based on what we think is best for our students and our staff.

Any student or staff member who was considered to be exposed, in close contact, or showing symptoms of COVID-19 is encouraged to be tested. If you have been tested, you are required to quarantine at home while awaiting results. Regardless if your test is negative and you had exposure to someone who tested positive, specific direction on quarantine requirements will come from the health department based on whether exposure was school or non-school related.

Any time there is a positive case the school district is in contact with the health department to assist with contact tracing and to ensure that those students and/or staff that need to be in quarantine are following those directives.

Why don’t you just shut down school? We believe the school is the best place for students during school hours. It is the best learning environment and an environment in which safety is of paramount concern. Many of the cases of exposure that we are experiencing within the school system are a result of events or activities outside of the classroom. Gatherings at someone’s house, riding in a vehicle together, or exposure through activities have been major factors. When students are in school we are able to help ensure masking and social distancing is being maintained. Starting tomorrow, 10/9 we are requiring masks of all PreK-12 students at all times, except when eating. During lunch, the number of students at each table is limited and students are socially distanced.

If school is shut down, students all too often end up at the park, a friend’s house or in a daycare situation. These are sometimes less controlled environments than at school. For working parents daycare is often a challenge when school is not in session. Sometimes grandparents are asked to help watch children, putting our most at-risk population in danger during an outbreak. High school students watch elementary students, which we are currently keeping separated at school to avoid spread between age groups. Having young children stay at home by themselves involves risk and letting older children stay at home unsupervised can result in gatherings where spread can occur.

When would you shut down school? We continue to work closely with the health department to determine when the risk of being in school outweighs the risk of not being in school. It is our desire to remain in school unless we are unable to function because of a large outbreak among staff members or the number of students who are absent makes it impractical. At this time, we do not foresee shutting down school.”

-Marty Kobza, Superior Public Schools Superintendent

“Brodstone Memorial Hospital is here to support our community and make sure the community is safe. We are encouraging all individuals to follow CDC recommended guidelines which include properly wearing your mask, practicing proper hand hygiene, and social distancing. We stand with South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) in their “I’ll protect you, you protect me” approach to COVID-19 prevention. Of utmost importance is being aware of your surroundings and staying informed during this time.

If you have symptoms or feel that you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 contact Superior Family Medical Center at 402-879-4781, take our online COVID Screener at http://www.brodstonehospital.org/covid-19/ or complete the online assessment available at http://www.testnebraska.com.

We are continuing regular, daily operations here in our facility and encourage you to seek your medical care as normal. We are prepared to safely handle both COVID and non-COVID related patient needs and as always we will continue to put our employees and patient’s safety first.

We will continue to work with Superior Public Schools to provide guidance and resources, from a healthcare standpoint, to the best of our abilities. SHDHD is the best place to stay up to date and informed about local COVID activity. If you ever have concerns or questions please feel free to utilize them as a resource during this time.”

-Treg Vyzourek, Brodstone Memorial Hospital CEO