Thursday, February 11, 2021
Groups of 25 people at a time receive education before getting their COVID-19 vaccine at Community Hospital. The hospital, using a list supplied by the health department, is working diligently to contact and vaccinate those in our area.
Community Hospital
McCOOK, Neb. Community Hospital began helping Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department with COVID-19 vaccinations to the public on Jan. 28, according to Sharon Conroy, RN, Community Hospital Infection Preventionist. Since then, closed vaccination pods will be planned weekly.
The hospital is providing meeting room space and staff to phone, vaccinate and organize the clinic as a public service to assist the health department in vaccinating those 65 years and older in the McCook area.
Wednesday, February 3, 2021
McCOOK, Neb. New COVID-19 cases have dropped below 100 for the week for the first time since October, according to Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department officials
While the number of new cases is still high 71 it comes as a relief to public health workers and the hospitals and clinics who have been under a heavy burden since the fall wave began.
With the drop in hospitalizations statewide, Gov. Pete Ricketts has moved the state into the green zone for Directed Health Measures. That means fewer restrictions on gatherings while other requirements are still in place. The new DHMs also have additional guidelines on who is required to quarantine after close contact with a positive case of COVID-19, with exceptions for those who have been positive in the last 90 days or have been fully vaccinated. SWNPHD continues to recommend taking precautions when out in public and avoiding the 3 Cs: crowded places, close contact and closed spaces.
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Tuesday, December 29, 2020
McCOOK, Neb. With state officials worried holiday gatherings will result in a spike in COVID-19 cases in the coming days, the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department is working with state and local public health officials and healthcare providers to distribute the recently approved vaccines.
We are asking the public to stop calling healthcare facilities and health departments in search of the vaccine, according to a SWNPHD release. Instead, wait patiently while the vaccine is distributed utilizing the federal guidelines.
The first phase prioritizes those in the highest risk categories, including frontline healthcare workers, emergency medical services and long-term care facilities.
Monday, December 21, 2020
McCOOK, Neb. While newly approved COVID-19 vaccines will soon be arriving in Southwest Nebraska, the general public will have to wait a while before receiving them.
Instead, front-line medical providers will be first in line so they stay healthy to care for the rest of us.
The Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department said the vaccines will provide an important layer of protection against the spread of COVID-19 and will be a valuable tool for the communities in southwest Nebraska.
According to the release: the vaccines currently approved for use were developed to provide immunity against the virus that causes COVID-19. They do not contain a live virus. Instead, the vaccine introduces a protein associated with the virus to your bodys immune system. Your body then creates antibodies to combat the virus. These vaccines were carefully researched and tested, and they have been made available sooner than normal due to the removal of barriers includi