Health official praises citizens for cooperation

Thursday, May 7, 2020

McCOOK, Neb. — Myra Stoney, director of the Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department, gave kudos to area residents for following the COVID-19 social distancing guidelines.

However, she reminded citizens to remain vigilant, as those testing positive for the virus has increased to 11 as of Monday, she told the McCook City Council at the regular meeting Monday night. “It’s important to not let down our guard…to keep us healthy,” she said.

Of those testing positive for COVID-19 in the nine-county Southwest Nebraska health district, some have been confirmed cases of “community spread.” Community spread is when the transmission of a illness is identified as being from an unknown source. Positive cases of the virus found in the district are:

• Four in Furnas County

• Four in Red Willow County

• One in Frontier County

• One in Hitchcock County

• A recovered case in Keith County

In addition to re-capping social distancing requirements, such as limiting groups of people to 10, and explaining the recent easing of the restrictions for restaurants and businesses, Stoney told the council that quarantine officers can be appointed in counties to enforce social distancing requirements recommended by state and federal guidelines.

Stoney said a letter from the attorney general’s office recommends enforcement methods should begin by talking to people, such as when dispersing a crowd of more than 10.

There are still some who do not take the virus seriously, Stoney said. She told the council of an incident that recently occurred at Lake McConaughy, when a state Games and Parks officer, when talking to a group of people, was deliberately coughed on by someone. “This is not funny and it’s uncalled for,” she said. “None of us wants this.”

City Manager Nate Schneider reiterated the need for the public who call the fire or police department to be honest when answering health questions. The dispatch center will ask callers specific health questions, such as if they have a fever, to determine how the department will respond. The safety of police and fire department members is critical, he said, as it impacts the safety of the community. “It’s extremely important we don’t lose first responders,” Schneider said.

McCook City Fire Chief Marc Harpham said the health questions help identify the exact nature of the call and dictate what level of protective equipment is needed.

Harpham said they are using one specific ambulance for suspected or actual positive cases of the virus, that is disinfected thoroughly after each call. Ultra violet boxes are on order that will be used to disinfect personal protection equipment such as masks and eye wear, utilized in the back of an ambulance or small room. Specialized filters purchased through a McCook Community Foundation Fund grant will be used to enhance self-contained breathing masks that firefighters wear into fires.

Schneider reviewed for the council city facilities that are still closed until May 31, per directed health measures, that includes city offices, the library, senior center, the city auditorium and ball parks. Equipment at parks are closed but area within parks are open to the public, for groups less than 10.

Schneider said he’s gotten a few calls about the recycling center being closed and explained there is only employee to handle the items and the city doesn’t want to put that employee at risk for potential virus transmission. Schneider said he’s been advising people to either store recyclables until the center re-opens or to throw them away. His own family recycles and he admitted it “feels like you’re doing something wrong” by throwing them into the trash.

Schneider also told the council that he’s expecting “a lot of disruption” in April city sales tax receipts due to COVID-19 restrictions. April sales tax receipts have not been released yet but when they are, Schneider said he’ll share them with the McCook Economic Development Corp.

Of the 1.5% McCook City sales tax, the MEDC collects one-half of the .5%.

As for committed city’s sales tax revenue, there are no capital projects or bonded debt to pay off, Schneider said, although $275,000 for three years is committed to the Nebraska Department of Transportation as the city’s portion of improvements done last year on U.S. Highways 6/34 and 83.

With the budget season coming up, “It’s important for people to understand that this could be a lean year for the city, we don’t know what to expect,” Schneider said, adding that his personal priorities for the budget will be providing necessities for the community and taking care of city employees.

He added that city staff has been keeping track of time spent on issues related to COVID-19 for possible reimbursement costs,

So far, the city has received a $30,000 grant for the airport.

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