SW health district records first COVID-19 cases; state lifts some restrictions

Zero cases can no longer be claimed in the health district that covers Chase County.
    As of Wednesday morning, three confirmed cases have been recorded in two counties within the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department.
    Directory Myra Stoney said the first case reported Friday was a man in his 30s in Red Willow County, who is self-isolating now at home.
    On Saturday and Sunday, two men in their 20s tested positive for COVID-19 in Furnas County, next door to the east of Red Willow.
    “Contact investigations are underway to identify people who came into close contact to help prevent further spread. All identified close contacts will self-quarantine and be actively monitored daily by public health officials for fever and respiratory symptoms,” Stoney said.
    She said SWNPHD recommends everyone practice protective measures when they go to any location outside their own home.
    The seven other counties in the SWNPHD remain without confirmed cases.
    Besides Chase, those include  Perkins, Keith, Hayes, Dundy, Hitchcock and Frontier.
    Nebraska has seen a huge growth in COVID-19 cases in Hall and Dawson counties.
    Hall County, which includes Grand Island, now leads the state in most cases with 558 Wednesday morning.
    That compares to 298 in Douglas County, which includes Omaha.
    Nebraska now has 1,772 cases and 38 deaths. A total of 16,813 people have been tested.
Some restrictions eased
    Gov. Pete Ricketts in his daily press briefing on Monday he will begin gradually relaxing some of the Directed Health Measures (DHMs) in Nebraska.
    On May 4, he said elective surgeries in the state’s hospitals can resume, if they meet four conditions:
    1) Thirty percent of their hospital beds are open;
    2) Thirty percent of their ICU beds are available;  
    3) Thirty percent of their ventilators are not being used; and
    4) The hospital has two weeks of necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in their specific facility.
    In addition to elective surgeries opening up May 4, the Governor also said veterinary services can also resume business May 5.
    Even with the relaxation of some of the DHMs, Ricketts emphasized the continued important of social distancing.
    He reminded Nebraskans of the six rules instituted in his “21 Days to Stay Home and Stay Healthy” campaign:

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