COVID-19 not giving up

COVID-19 cases in Perkins County have ticked up slightly over the past three weeks but remain manageable in terms of hospitalization. 

Perkins County Health Services CEO Neil Hilton said the hospital has not been overwhelmed by the number of cases requiring hospitalization. 

He said cases have trickled in but have not exceeded three at any one time. About the time one patient gets discharged, another one or two come in, he said. 

For the week ending at noon Nov. 16, Perkins County had 17 cases reported, according to the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department. 

For the week ending Nov. 23, Perkins County reported 20 cases. For the week that ended Monday, Nov. 20, the county reported 22 cases. 

During that same time frame, Keith County reported 62, 105 and 71 cases.

Chase County reported 24 cases each week.

Hilton noted a number of people from both Keith County and Chase County doctor with PCHS. In addition, there are a number of people from Grant and Perkins County who work in Ogallala or Imperial and vice-versa.

This increases the amount traffic and interaction that can lead to increased exposure to the virus. 

He said some members of the PCHS staff are in quarantine due to exposure from family or other people, along with a random positive test.

He said they continue to test the staff at Golden Our Convalescent Home and Park Ridge assisted living on a weekly basis. He said there’s enough COVID cases in the county that it remains prudent to test on a weekly basis. 

SWNPHD has raised the district’s risk dial to red, and discourages any unnecessary gatherings and urges people to wear face masks. 

In his briefing Monday, Gov. Pete Ricketts said the directed health measures put in effect for the last half of November will continue through Dec. 31.

The big key to whether more stringent health measures will occur depends on hospital bed availability in the state, including intensive care units and the availability of ventilators. 

On Oct. 1, he said there were 227 people hospitalized in Nebraska due to COVID compared to 896 this week. 

While that number is much higher, it’s still within the trigger points for more regulations. 

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