Labor Day gatherings help create 20 new COVID-19 cases in Southwest Nebraska

McCOOK, Neb. -- Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department has had 20 new cases of COVID-19 reported since Sep. 14, many of them related to family gatherings over the Labor Day weekend, according to officials.

This brings the totals for the health district to 194 cases with 151 cases recovered.

SWNPHD continues to recommend that even small gatherings take precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including keeping guests 6 feet apart, washing hands and surfaces often, wearing a mask indoors, and asking anyone experiencing symptoms to stay at home.

To assist with screening for symptoms, SWNPHD has collected the most common symptoms of COVID-19 that have been reported in positive cases in southwest Nebraska.

It is important to know that not everyone will have every symptom and may have only one.

The top 6 symptoms are:

• Fatigue

• Cough

• Headache

• Muscle Aches

• Fever

• Loss of Taste/Smell

SWNPHD encourages all parents and guardians to have a plan in place for if a child tests positive for COVID-19 or is exposed to a positive case. Plans should include how to help identify close contacts outside the home, how to continue learning activities for school age children, extra cleaning, and ways to work from home when possible. Assistance programs are available through the Nebraska Department of Labor for anyone who loses work hours due to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 Community Risk Dial for the week of September 21st is yellow, meaning residents of southwest Nebraska have a moderate risk of contracting COVID-19.

COVID-19 information is available at CDC.gov and swhealth.ne.gov. You can also follow SWNPHD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. SWNPHD serves Chase, Dundy, Frontier, Furnas, Hayes, Hitchcock, Keith, Perkins, and Red Willow counties. SWNPHD is located at 404 West 10th St (1 block north of Arby’s) in McCook.