COVID cases continue to keep health district busy

    In the past seven days the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD) has been notified of 11 more people who have tested positive for COVID-19.
    New cases include the following:
    • One Chase County resident: a male in his 60s, related to travel.
    • Two Perkins County residents: a male in his teens and a female in her 80s, both related to direct contact.
    • Five Keith County residents: a male in his 60s and a female in her 30s related to direct contact, a female in her 40s and a female in her 60s both related to travel, and a female in her 50s related to community spread.
    • One Hitchcock County resident: a male in his 30s, related to direct contact with another confirmed case of COVID-19.
    • One Furnas County resident: a male in his 50s related to direct contact.
    • One Red Willow County resident: a female in her 60s related to community spread.
    These cases bring the total to 90 confirmed COVID-19 cases, according to Myra Stoney, Health Director at SWNPHD.  
    Of those 90 cases, 54 people have recovered.
    The district has recorded eight deaths in all due to COVID-19 in its nine-county area, most of which were reported last week in this newspaper.
    “The higher numbers of cases and deaths in the last few weeks highlights the importance of separating those who are sick from the rest of the public,” said  Melissa Propp, RN Public Health Nurse.  
    “Please stay home if you have any symptoms—don’t wait until you feel ‘sick enough’ to stay home. It doesn’t take severe symptoms to pass it on,” she added.
    Friday’s statewide report from DHHS showed Nebraska had an increase of 1,893 cases since the July 31 report. Cases grew to 28,104, but 20,333 have recovered.
    During the past week, 13 new COVID-19 related deaths were recorded in the state for a total of 345.
Perkins County numbers
    While the COVID-19 outbreak in the Golden Ours Convalescent Home in Grant has slowed, two more positive tests came back last week—one resident and one employee.
    Perkins County Health Services CEO Neil Hilton said the employee case was confirmed on Aug. 4 while the resident’s case, a woman in her 80s, was confirmed Aug. 7.
    He said the resident remains at Golden Ours in a wing dedicated to COVID-19 patients.
    Hilton said all 14 residents in Golden Ours and 10 in Park Ridge assisted living were tested early last week.
    He was hopeful all 24 would come back negative—23 of

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