North Central District Health Department (NCDHD) has been made aware of 143 cases in the district since the last reporting on 11/30: 29-Antelope; 6-Boyd; 14-Brown; 12-Cherry; 31-Holt; 4-Keya Paha; 26-Knox; 16-Pierce; 5-Rock.  

            NCDHD has regretfully been notified of six additional COVID-19 related deaths: one Holt County male in his 80s; one Holt County female in her 80s; one Knox County female in her 80s; one Antelope County female in her 100s, one Antelope County female in her 70s, and one Antelope County male in his 70s. NCDHD send its sincerest condolences to all the families.

            NCDHD is pleased to announce 104 new recoveries: 18-Antelope; 3-Boyd; 3-Brown; 4-Cherry; 42-Holt; 0-Keya Paha; 20-Knox; 8-Pierce; 6-Rock. 

The Directed Health Measures (DHMs), effective December 3rd through December 31st, 2020, have been updated to include the recommendations from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding shortened quarantine. The change includes:

  • Quarantine may now discontinue without testing under the following conditions:
  • at least 10 days have passed since the quarantined individuals last Close Contact (see definition above) exposure AND
  • have no symptom development AND
  • continues to self-monitor daily for symptom development through day 14 since last Close Contact exposure AND
  • wears a facial covering (such as a bandana or cloth mask) through day 14 since last Close Contact.
  • Quarantine may discontinue with testing under the following conditions:
  • at least seven (7) days have passed since the quarantined individuals last Close Contact exposure AND
  • has had no symptom development AND
  • results of a diagnostic specimen testis negative, AND the specimen was collected no earlier than 5 days since the quarantined individuals last Close Contact (see definition above) exposure AND
  • continues to self-monitor daily for symptom development through day 14 since last Close Contact (see definition above) exposure AND
  • wears a facial covering (such as a bandana or cloth mask) through day 14 since last Close Contact (see definition above) exposure

NCDHD has expanded its COVID-19 testing capacities to include a 15-minute rapid test, in addition to the gold standard PCR test already offered. The rapid test is only offered to individuals who are currently exhibiting symptoms associated with COVID

All testing is offered free of charge at the below locations:

  • O’Neill: Monday- Thursday from 8:30am-10:30am in the north parking lot of the O’Neill Armory. The armory is located at the corner of 4th and Hynes Ave.
  • Bassett: Tuesdays from 1:00pm-3:00pm at the Rock County Fair Grounds.
  • Pre-registration for testing at www.testnebraska.com is highly encouraged, but not required.
  • The last patient will be scheduled 15 minutes before the scheduled end of the clinic.

Cherry County Hospital is offering Test Nebraska COVID clinics Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:30pm-3:30pm. Testing is in the north parking lot of the Valentine United Methodist Church, located at 804 E. 5th St. Valentine, NE. Rapid tests are not offered at this TestNE site. Pre-registration is strongly recommended, though not required.

Case count update as of 12/3/2020 at 4:00 PM: 2,940 Total Cases (TC), 1,165 Recoveries (R), 40 Deaths (D), and 510 total cases reported in the last 14 days. A reminder that Total Case (TC) numbers are represented first, and of those total cases the number of Recovered (R) persons is represented second, and total case related Deaths (D) is represented third.

Antelope: TC: 401, R:154, D: 4      

Boyd: TC: 144, R: 49; D:2              

Brown: TC 199, R:76, D: 3            

Cherry: TC: 312, R: 107, D:5         

Holt: TC: 594, R: 251, D: 10           

Keya Paha: TC: 24, R: 6

Knox: TC: 623, R: 285, D: 2

Pierce: TC: 530, R: 159, D:13

Rock: TC: 113, R: 78, D:1