SWNPHD Recap of COVID-19 timeline
Since April 2020, when the first case of COVID-19 was reported by the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD), total cases stand at 4,325 in the nine-county region as of Sept. 6, 2021.
Myra Stoney, director of the department, put together a timeline of how the pandemic affect the nine southwest Nebraska counties.
A resurgance of COVID cases has been seen in the district, due in large part to the Delta variant of the virus.
Stoney said the department reported 100 new cases of COVID-19 from Aug. 31 to Sept. 6, 2021.
That brings the weekly average to 72 cases per week in the last 30 days.
A breakdown by age includes: 0 to 19—31; 20 to 29—10; 30 to 39—3; 40 to 49—12; 50 to 59—13; 60 to 69—9; 70 to 79—8; 80 and over—4.
She added the department received confirmation of one additional death due to COVID-19.
Vaccination rates across the health district have reached 47%. This number includes fully vaccinated as well as partially vaccinated individuals.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has changed frequently over the past year and a half. Our goal at SWNPHD has always been to help people make informed decisions about their health.
“Sometimes we get caught in political crosshairs, but we focus on providing information that is evidence-based. SWNPHD remains committed to recommending guidelines that are supported by quality data for the duration of the pandemic,” she said.
Timeline: 2020
February—First confirmed case of COVID-19 in the United States.
March-—First confirmed case in Nebraska. School campuses closed. International travelers required to self-quarantine for 14 days.
April—First confirmed case in SWNPHD. Directed Health Measures enacted prohibiting gatherings.
May—Total of 18 cases in SWNPHD. National Guard conducted mass testing for COVID-19. Churches, some businesses, and elective surgeries allowed to resume in the Directed Health Measures.
June—Total of 22 cases in SWNPHD. First death due to COVID-19 in SWNPHD. Started work with schools on safe reopening plans. Moved to Phase II of statewide reopening, then Phase III.
July—COVID-19 Community Risk Dial launched, with SWNPHD in yellow. Case counts spike up to 70 total.
August—Total of 140 cases. Moved to Phase IV of statewide reopening.
September—Total of 226 cases.
October—Total of 755 cases. Risk dial moved to orange. Directed Health Measures increase restrictions for gathering. Masking is recommended.
November—Total of 2,037 cases. Hospitals across the state begin to reach capacity limits. Risk dial moved to red. Directed Health Measures increase restrictions.
December—Total of 2,875 cases. Risk dial moved to orange. DHM restrictions decreased as hospitalized COVID-19 cases drops below 20% of total capacity. Vaccine becomes available to healthcare and other frontline workers in Phase 1A.
2021
February—Total of 3,720 cases. Positive case rates decrease further. Vaccination progressed to Phase 1B
for 65+ and critical infra-structure.
March—Total of 3,779 cases. COVID vaccine moves to Phase 2, available for anyone age 18 and older. Over 8,000 doses of COVID vaccine are distributed. First case of the Delta variant identified in the United States.
April—Total of 3,806 cases. 200 doses of single-dose J&J distributed, along with Moderna and Pfizer two-dose series.
May—Total of 3,837 cases. Pfizer receives FDA approval to vaccinate age 12 and older. Total vaccinated in SWNPHD is 13,480.
June—Total of 3,893 cases. 39% of SWNPHD is vaccinated. First case of the Delta variant identified in SWNPHD.
July—Total of 3,984 cases. Positive cases begin increasing due to spread of the Delta variant.
August—Total of 4,247 cases. 46% vaccinated in SWNPHD. Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 increase and begin to limit bed capacity statewide. Pfizer COVID vaccine receives full FDA approval for use in the United States.
Stoney said that “as much as we would like to be done with COVID-19, it is still a threat to people in our communities. It is time to think of others around you and take steps to protect your community.”
Visit swhealth.ne.gov for information on COVID-19. People can also follow SWNPHD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.