Health district seeks help in slowing COVID spread

South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) officials reported 96 new lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases in four days (Friday through Monday), bringing the cumulative number of cases in the four-county health district to 1,375. The new confirmed cases for the four-day period include: 60 in Adams, 18 in Clay, nine in Nuckolls and nine in Webster. By county, the new cumulative totals are: 925 cases in Adams, 192 cases in Clay, 131 cases in Nuckolls, and 127 cases in Webster.

SHDHD also reported the 17th COVID-19-related death of a previously reported case. Michele Bever, SHDHD executive director reported the death was a Clay County resident, a man in his 90s, who was hospitalized with underlying health conditions.

In addition to the case counts for the past four days, health officials reported receiving 1,068 lab reports for tests conducted during the week ending Saturday. Of these, 174 were positive for COVID-19, which calculates to an overall positivity (percent positive tests) of 16.3 percent for the four-county district. Bever said lower positivity, means less community spread – with a goal of less than 5 percent. The positivity by county is 17.4 percent in Adams, 8.0 percent in Clay, 28.9 percent in Nuckolls and 32.6 percent in Webster.

Bever urged residents to help reverse current COVID-19 trends. “Avoid the three Cs,” she said. “Avoid crowded places, avoid close contact and avoid confined spaces. Protect others and yourselves in everything you do.”

Bever said with the increase in cases reported to SHDHD in recent weeks, the State of Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is assisting SHDHD’s contact tracing team to convey COVID results, share next steps and answer questions. “Sometimes people are hesitant to answer calls from unknown numbers, but we want residents to know that NeDHHS is helping us with contact tracing, so local individuals may be getting calls from numbers they don’t recognize,” Bever said. “If you have been tested for COVID, please answer these calls to determine whether it is someone reaching out with your test results. If someone from South Heartland or NeDHHS should call and leave a message, please return the call as directed in the message,” she said.

Bever said contact tracers will never ask for information such as social security, banking or credit card numbers and residents should verify callers before giving out this kind of information over the phone. For questions or concerns, contact SHDHD.