Coronavirus edges closer to Perkins County

Chase County reports first case

Perkins County remains just one of 24 counties in Nebraska free of COVID-19. However, the virus edged a bit closer to the county when Chase County reported their first case.

That puts the virus in three of the four bordering counties—Chase, Keith and Lincoln.

Sedgwick County, Colorado, which borders Perkins County to the west, still remains virus free while Phillips County, Colorado has reported 12 cases.

Chase County Case

Myra Stoney, health director at the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department in McCook, confirmed Tuesday that Chase County had its first positive case of COVID-19.

She said a Chase County male in his 70s is hospitalized. How the person became exposed to the virus remains under investigation.

She said during the investigation, the patient provides the names of people they have been in contact with over a specified number of days.  

From there, SWNPHD calls those people to discuss their exposure and what they need to do.

Another case was reported in Furnas County this week—a male in his 50s who is now hospitalized. His exposure to the virus came from direct contact with another case from Furnas County.

Stoney said these cases bring the total to 18 positive COVID-19 cases in SWNPHD.   Thirteen of the cases have recovered, meaning they are no longer showing symptoms and have been released from self-isolation. 

For general information on COVID-19 call the Nebraska Dept. of Health and Human Services hotline at 402-552-6645, or visit the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services website at http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx.

For more information on COVID-19 in Southwest Nebraska, visit www.swhealth.ne.gov.

SWNPHD serves Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, Keith, Perkins, and Red Willow counties.

 

The Grant Tribune-Sentinel

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