By Hay Springs Chamber of Commerce

Join us on Saturday, March 28th at 6 p.m. for a Cruise Night and a community "Bear Hunt."

A Cruise Night is designed to greet neighbors and show support and love for one another while still abiding by the safety guidelines put in place by the CDC and federal government. Simply put, get in your car with your family and cruise main. Get out of the house and see one another.

We are inviting all community members to place teddy bears in their windows for families to cruise around and hunt for bears. This is an activity that is fun for the whole family while out walking or during the cruise night. Let's see how many bears we can find!

We are inviting all local food establishments and organizations to offer curb side food or carry out during this evening. Let's support our local food businesses/organizations!

The Hay Springs Chamber said this community event was inspired Craig Heather Housh, Jolene Swarnes, and Rachel Rasmussen.&nbsp;

By Hay Springs Chamber of CommerceJoin us on Saturday, March 28th at 6 p.m. for a Cruise Night and a community "Bear Hunt."A Cruise Night is designed to greet neighbors and show support and love for one another while still abiding by the safety guidelines put in place by the CDC and federal government. Simply put, get in your car with your family and cruise main. Get out of the house and see one another.We are inviting all community members to place teddy bears in their windows for families to cruise around and hunt for bears. This is an activity that is fun for the whole family while out walking or during the cruise night. Let's see how many bears we can find!We are inviting all local food establishments and organizations to offer curb side food or carry out during this evening. Let's support our local food businesses/organizations!The Hay Springs Chamber said this community event was inspired Craig Heather Housh, Jolene Swarnes, and Rachel Rasmussen.&nbsp;

Hay Springs Chamber to hold 'Cruise Night, Community Bear Hunt'

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem says South Dakota may be as much as eight weeks away from the peak of COVID-19 and needs to continue limiting business activity even as President Donald Trump considers relaxing national guidance. 

The Republican governor says she'll continue to support restrictions on businesses and social gatherings. 

Noem expects infections to increase and is bracing the state's health care system for a surge of patients. 

The governor also said schools will remain closed until May 1. 

Meanwhile, nine women fled the Women's Prison in Pierre after an inmate tested postive for the virus. One of the escapees has been caught.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Gov. Kristi Noem says South Dakota may be as much as eight weeks away from the peak of COVID-19 and needs to continue limiting business activity even as President Donald Trump considers relaxing national guidance. The Republican governor says she'll continue to support restrictions on businesses and social gatherings. Noem expects infections to increase and is bracing the state's health care system for a surge of patients. The governor also said schools will remain closed until May 1. Meanwhile, nine women fled the Women's Prison in Pierre after an inmate tested postive for the virus. One of the escapees has been caught.

Gov. Noem says COVID-19 will last months despite Trump's optimism

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A drive-thru clinic has opened in Lincoln where one person in each vehicle can be tested for influenza, respiratory illnesses and COVID-19. 

The testing organized by Bryan Health runs from 2 to 6 p.m. daily at Bryan LifePointe. 

Officials say people seeking the tests must have referrals from their doctors or through Bryan's EZVisit telehealth service. 

Flu and respiratory test results should be available in 24 hours, while COVID-19 results will take two to three days. 

Officials say they think the drive-thru can handle about 60 people a day. 

Health officials say three Lancaster County residents have tested positive for COVID-19.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A drive-thru clinic has opened in Lincoln where one person in each vehicle can be tested for influenza, respiratory illnesses and COVID-19. The testing organized by Bryan Health runs from 2 to 6 p.m. daily at Bryan LifePointe. Officials say people seeking the tests must have referrals from their doctors or through Bryan's EZVisit telehealth service. Flu and respiratory test results should be available in 24 hours, while COVID-19 results will take two to three days. Officials say they think the drive-thru can handle about 60 people a day. Health officials say three Lancaster County residents have tested positive for COVID-19.

Drive-thru COVID-19 testing clinic opens in Lincoln

NEW YORK (AP) — A loss of smell or taste might be an early sign of infection with the pandemic virus, say medical experts who cite reports from several countries.

It might even serve as a useful screening tool, they say.

The idea of a virus infection reducing sense of smell is not new. Respiratory viral infection is a common cause of loss of smell, because inflammation can interfere with airflow and the ability to detect odors. The sense of smell usually returns when the infection resolves, but in a small percentage of cases, smell loss can persist after other symptoms disappear. In some cases, it is permanent.

Now, there’s “good evidence” from South Korea, China and Italy for loss or impairment of smell in infected people, says a joint&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entuk.org/sites/default/files/files/Loss%20of%20sense%20of%20smell%20as%20marker%20of%20COVID.pdf">statement&nbsp;</a>from the presidents of the British Rhinological Society and of ENT UK, a British group that represents ear, nose and throat doctors. In South Korea, some 30% of people who tested positive for the virus have cited loss of smell as their major complaint in otherwise mild cases, they wrote.

So that might be useful as a way to spot infected people without other symptoms — fever, coughing and shortness of breath — of the new coronavirus, they wrote.

A similar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entnet.org/content/coronavirus-disease-2019-resources">proposal&nbsp;</a>was published Sunday by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. It noted “rapidly accumulating” anecdotal evidence from around the world that the pandemic virus can cause not only loss of smell but also a diminished sense of taste. So the appearance of those symptoms in people without another explanation should alert doctors to the possibility of a COVID-19 infection, the group said.

Maria Van Kerkhove, an outbreak expert at the World Health Organization, told reporters Monday that the U.N. health agency is looking into the question of whether the loss of smell or taste are a defining feature of the disease.

Dr. Eric Holbrook, an expert on nasal and sinus disease at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear hospital in Boston, said the reports have been a hot topic among researchers and doctors. But “we don’t have hard evidence right now” about how often smell loss occurs in people infected with the pandemic virus, he said in an interview Monday.

Holbrook said the reports he has seen suggest the sense of smell returns within a couple weeks, but how long it lasts has yet to be firmly established.

He also said it’s difficult to assess reports of a loss of taste because people with an impaired sense of smell often report a loss of flavor, which is technically different from an impairment in taste.

Holbrook said he is trying to set up a study of smell in people being tested for the coronavirus at Boston-area hospitals.

NEW YORK (AP) — A loss of smell or taste might be an early sign of infection with the pandemic virus, say medical experts who cite reports from several countries.It might even serve as a useful screening tool, they say.The idea of a virus infection reducing sense of smell is not new. Respiratory viral infection is a common cause of loss of smell, because inflammation can interfere with airflow and the ability to detect odors. The sense of smell usually returns when the infection resolves, but in a small percentage of cases, smell loss can persist after other symptoms disappear. In some cases, it is permanent.Now, there’s “good evidence” from South Korea, China and Italy for loss or impairment of smell in infected people, says a joint&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entuk.org/sites/default/files/files/Loss%20of%20sense%20of%20smell%20as%20marker%20of%20COVID.pdf">statement&nbsp;</a>from the presidents of the British Rhinological Society and of ENT UK, a British group that represents ear, nose and throat doctors. In South Korea, some 30% of people who tested positive for the virus have cited loss of smell as their major complaint in otherwise mild cases, they wrote.So that might be useful as a way to spot infected people without other symptoms — fever, coughing and shortness of breath — of the new coronavirus, they wrote.A similar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.entnet.org/content/coronavirus-disease-2019-resources">proposal&nbsp;</a>was published Sunday by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. It noted “rapidly accumulating” anecdotal evidence from around the world that the pandemic virus can cause not only loss of smell but also a diminished sense of taste. So the appearance of those symptoms in people without another explanation should alert doctors to the possibility of a COVID-19 infection, the group said.Maria Van Kerkhove, an outbreak expert at the World Health Organization, told reporters Monday that the U.N. health agency is looking into the question of whether the loss of smell or taste are a defining feature of the disease.Dr. Eric Holbrook, an expert on nasal and sinus disease at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear hospital in Boston, said the reports have been a hot topic among researchers and doctors. But “we don’t have hard evidence right now” about how often smell loss occurs in people infected with the pandemic virus, he said in an interview Monday.Holbrook said the reports he has seen suggest the sense of smell returns within a couple weeks, but how long it lasts has yet to be firmly established.He also said it’s difficult to assess reports of a loss of taste because people with an impaired sense of smell often report a loss of flavor, which is technically different from an impairment in taste.Holbrook said he is trying to set up a study of smell in people being tested for the coronavirus at Boston-area hospitals.

Loss of smell, taste, might signal pandemic virus infection

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Four new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Douglas County, according to preliminary data from the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD).

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Health Department’s Epidemiology Team is continuing to investigate these latest cases, which bring the total in Douglas County to 38.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; These individuals include a woman in her 30s and three men ranging in age from their 40s to their 70s. One case has been identified as the result of community spread and one person is hospitalized.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Health Department is advising that precautions to avoid a COVID-19 infection need to be taken throughout the community, not just in locations previously listed as having the potential for exposure. It also is important to consider that many people who are sick have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. The CDC has said that four out of five people who have become ill acquired the disease from someone who didn’t know they had it. That means there are likely many more people in the community who are infected with COVID-19 than have been reported.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Please increase your awareness of COVID-19 symptoms, which include a fever, cough, sore throat, or difficulty breathing. Some people have experienced a loss of their sense of taste or smell. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, or develop symptoms, contact your health care provider and tell them how you are feeling and any possible history of exposure. We ask that you call ahead before you go to the doctor’s office or an emergency room.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; DCHD’s information line remains open to anyone with general questions about COVID-19. That number, (402) 444-3400, is answered seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Nebraska DHHS has a COVID-19 information line open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily at (402) 552-6645. Any person who has questions outside those hours is asked to call the United Way’s 2-1-1 Resource Hotline.

News Release&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Four new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Douglas County, according to preliminary data from the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Health Department’s Epidemiology Team is continuing to investigate these latest cases, which bring the total in Douglas County to 38.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; These individuals include a woman in her 30s and three men ranging in age from their 40s to their 70s. One case has been identified as the result of community spread and one person is hospitalized.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Health Department is advising that precautions to avoid a COVID-19 infection need to be taken throughout the community, not just in locations previously listed as having the potential for exposure. It also is important to consider that many people who are sick have mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. The CDC has said that four out of five people who have become ill acquired the disease from someone who didn’t know they had it. That means there are likely many more people in the community who are infected with COVID-19 than have been reported.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Please increase your awareness of COVID-19 symptoms, which include a fever, cough, sore throat, or difficulty breathing. Some people have experienced a loss of their sense of taste or smell. If you have COVID-19 symptoms, or develop symptoms, contact your health care provider and tell them how you are feeling and any possible history of exposure. We ask that you call ahead before you go to the doctor’s office or an emergency room.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; DCHD’s information line remains open to anyone with general questions about COVID-19. That number, (402) 444-3400, is answered seven days a week from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Nebraska DHHS has a COVID-19 information line open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily at (402) 552-6645. Any person who has questions outside those hours is asked to call the United Way’s 2-1-1 Resource Hotline.

Douglas County reports 4 new confirmed cases of COVID-19

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts is urging Nebraska residents to quarantine themselves for at least two weeks if they've recently traveled anyplace that has seen a big outbreak of the new coronavirus, including major U.S. cities. 

Ricketts is issuing the new precaution as state officials try to keep the virus from spreading, but he says he won't order any tougher restrictions than those already in place. 

He says residents should quarantine themselves for 14 days after returning home from a hard-hit foreign country or cities such as Denver and Kansas City, which have issued stay-at-home orders.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts is urging Nebraska residents to quarantine themselves for at least two weeks if they've recently traveled anyplace that has seen a big outbreak of the new coronavirus, including major U.S. cities. Ricketts is issuing the new precaution as state officials try to keep the virus from spreading, but he says he won't order any tougher restrictions than those already in place. He says residents should quarantine themselves for 14 days after returning home from a hard-hit foreign country or cities such as Denver and Kansas City, which have issued stay-at-home orders.

Ricketts: Nebraskans coming from risky areas should isolate

By&nbsp;Police Chief John Kiss, Alliance Police Department

Contrary to rumor, “Cruising the Butte” is not against the law. I suspect it fell out of fashion as gas prices increased and online gaming became popular. 

The community as a whole is excited to see you out and about showing off the shine on your 2019 (or 1959) Buick; however, I’d like to provide guidance moving forward for your cruising pleasure.

First, if you are the driver, please keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2.  If you struggle with this rule, perhaps consider leaving your cell phone in the glove box, or the back seat, or in the trunk.  If you really want to pretend like it’s 1978, we didn’t have cell phones anyway, so just leave them at home. 

Second, seat belts should be worn at all times. We are glad you have a sunroof, but we’d rather not see passengers sticking their heads or arms out through the roof.  This is not the 1980’s, this is not the movie “Big,” and you are not Tom Hanks. 

Third, the best places to U-turn on Box Butte are at 1st Street and 11th Street. The No U-Turn Sign at 11th Street can be ignored after 4 PM (by code).  Please don’t U-turn at the 4-way stop on 14th Street.  People find 4-way stops confusing enough. Let’s not complicate things. 

Fourth, if you choose to get out of your vehicle (which I do not condone) make sure your car is in park. I won’t mention any names here. 

And finally, please obey all traffic signs and laws. No engine-revving, tire squealing, street-racing, speeding, drifting, etc. Our officers also want to practice social distancing by not having to respond to accidents or handle traffic violations.  

Follow these rules so we can all have fun watching you re-live your youth (while you still can).  

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585087164537.jpeg" alt="Photo courtesy: APD" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy: APD</figcaption>
 </figure>By&nbsp;Police Chief John Kiss, Alliance Police DepartmentTo the Driving Public of Alliance:Contrary to rumor, “Cruising the Butte” is not against the law. I suspect it fell out of fashion as gas prices increased and online gaming became popular. The community as a whole is excited to see you out and about showing off the shine on your 2019 (or 1959) Buick; however, I’d like to provide guidance moving forward for your cruising pleasure.First, if you are the driver, please keep your eyes on the road and your hands on the wheel at 10 and 2. If you struggle with this rule, perhaps consider leaving your cell phone in the glove box, or the back seat, or in the trunk. If you really want to pretend like it’s 1978, we didn’t have cell phones anyway, so just leave them at home. Second, seat belts should be worn at all times. We are glad you have a sunroof, but we’d rather not see passengers sticking their heads or arms out through the roof. This is not the 1980’s, this is not the movie “Big,” and you are not Tom Hanks. Third, the best places to U-turn on Box Butte are at 1st Street and 11th Street. The No U-Turn Sign at 11th Street can be ignored after 4 PM (by code). Please don’t U-turn at the 4-way stop on 14th Street. People find 4-way stops confusing enough. Let’s not complicate things. Fourth, if you choose to get out of your vehicle (which I do not condone) make sure your car is in park. I won’t mention any names here. And finally, please obey all traffic signs and laws. No engine-revving, tire squealing, street-racing, speeding, drifting, etc. Our officers also want to practice social distancing by not having to respond to accidents or handle traffic violations. Follow these rules so we can all have fun watching you re-live your youth (while you still can). Happy and safe Cruising!

APD Chief Kiss: Contrary to rumor, “Cruising the Butte” is not against the law 

By&nbsp;James Krotz, Sheridan County Commissioner

In response to the Covid-19 emergency the Sheridan County Nebraska Board of Commissioners has voted to suspend public access to the Courthouse and Rushville Annex effective March 25, 2020 and continuing until further notice. 

&nbsp;This action is intended to limit the opportunity for community spread of the virus.

County Offices will be staffed and accepting phone calls to assist you with your business, but the doors of the Courthouse will be locked. &nbsp;Only those who must appear in District Court will be admitted. &nbsp;Call 308-327-5654 for admittance.

The County Court in the Public Safety Building will remain open.

Sheridan County encourages citizens to make use of the online services available at the County website at https://sheridancounty.ne.gov. &nbsp;

By&nbsp;James Krotz, Sheridan County CommissionerIn response to the Covid-19 emergency the Sheridan County Nebraska Board of Commissioners has voted to suspend public access to the Courthouse and Rushville Annex effective March 25, 2020 and continuing until further notice. &nbsp;This action is intended to limit the opportunity for community spread of the virus.County Offices will be staffed and accepting phone calls to assist you with your business, but the doors of the Courthouse will be locked. &nbsp;Only those who must appear in District Court will be admitted. &nbsp;Call 308-327-5654 for admittance.The County Court in the Public Safety Building will remain open.Sheridan County encourages citizens to make use of the online services available at the County website at https://sheridancounty.ne.gov. &nbsp;

Sheridan County suspends courthouse access

WASHINGTON (AP) — A series of missteps at the nation’s top public health agency caused a critical shortage of reliable laboratory tests for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>, hobbling the federal response as the pandemic spread across the country like wildfire, an Associated Press review found.

President Donald Trump assured Americans early this month that the COVID-19 test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “perfect” and that “anyone who wants a test can get a test.” But more than two months after the first U.S. case of the new disease was confirmed, many people still cannot get tested.

In the critical month of February, as the virus began taking root in the U.S. population, CDC data shows government labs processed 352 COVID-19 tests — an average of only a dozen per day.

“You cannot fight a fire blindfolded,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said at a recent briefing. “We cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected.”

The Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the CDC, has begun an internal review to assess its own mistakes. But outside observers and federal health officials have pointed to four primary issues that together hampered the national response — the early decision not to use the test adopted by the World Health Organization, flaws with the more complex test developed by the CDC, government guidelines restricting who could be tested and delays in engaging the private sector to ramp up testing capacity.

Combined with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/67a9a72531ca2e332bea9225cec2fda5">messaging from the White House minimizing the disease</a>, that fueled a lackluster response that missed chances to slow the spread of the virus, they said.

“There were many, many opportunities not to end up where we are,” Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard, told the AP. “Basically, they took this as business as usual. ... And that’s because the messaging from the White House was ‘this is not a big deal, this is no worse than the flu.’ So that message basically created no sense of urgency within the FDA or the CDC to fix it.”

Even as private labs have been cleared by government regulators to process tens of thousands of additional tests in the last two weeks, experts warn that the nation is still falling well short of enough testing capacity to keep ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak">the highly contagious virus</a>. And it can often take a week just to get results back.

Trump last week rated his administration’s response to the crisis as a perfect 10. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/432a37435f28015e8b45eeff710cd254">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the CDC’s system wasn’t designed to test for and track a widespread outbreak, which he characterized as “a failing.”

In interviews with the AP, two federal health officials with direct knowledge of the situation said CDC experts don’t know why many of the agency’s test kits failed to reliably detect the virus. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about what went wrong.

J. Stephen Morrison, a health policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, called the testing issues a “debacle,” contributing to what he described as a confused and delayed federal response to the crisis.

As a result, he said, the CDC has now been marginalized within the White House — a worrisome development.

“CDC has generally been regarded as the best in the game,” Morrison said. “I don’t think they anticipated the technical difficulty or the speed with which the virus has been moving. The virus was racing out ahead of them.”

On New Year’s Eve, Chinese scientists informed the World Health Organization about a cluster of 27 pneumonia cases of unknown cause in the industrial megalopolis of Wuhan that they linked to the city’s wholesale fish market. Less than two weeks later, the Chinese had sequenced the virus’ genetic makeup and shared it with the world.

Within days, German scientists had developed a test that could identify a unique part of the virus’ DNA. The WHO quickly adopted the German test,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/protocol-v2-1.pdf?sfvrsn=a9ef618c_2" target="_blank">publishing technical guidelines</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 17 and working with private companies to produce testing kits.

As they have done with some past outbreaks, officials at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta decided to develop their own test, focusing on three gene targets distinct from what the WHO used. Over the decades, the headquarters lab had built a track record of being among the first to develop tests for new diseases and quickly making them available for disease tracking.

The CDC published the technical details for its COVID-19 test on Jan. 28, 10 days after the WHO. By then, the virus had already been in the U.S. for at least two weeks.

The 35-year-old man who would become the first American to test positive had arrived in Seattle on Jan. 15, following a trip to Wuhan. After swabs from his nose and throat were flown to the CDC lab, federal officials announced the results Jan. 21.

In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/trump-on-coronavirus-from-china-we-have-it-totally-under-control.html" target="_blank">an interview on CNBC</a>&nbsp;the following day, the Republican president was asked about the risk to the nation.

“We have it totally under control,” he said. “It’s one person coming in from China. ... It’s going to be just fine.”

With limited capacity at the CDC lab in Atlanta, the agency placed strict criteria on who could be tested: people with fevers, coughing or difficulty breathing who had also visited Wuhan within the preceding two weeks or who had close contact with someone already confirmed or under investigation for having the virus.

On Jan. 30, the day the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency, Trump again assured the American people that the virus was “very well under control.”

Then he departed for a weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where he&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1223640662689689602?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted a photo of himself playing golf</a>&nbsp;at his club in West Palm Beach.

“Getting a little exercise this morning!” the president wrote.

The following day, the U.S. declared its own emergency. Still, U.S. citizens returning from China who did not have a fever weren’t tested for the virus but were encouraged to self-quarantine at home for 14 days.

At that point, the CDC had confirmed just eight cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. The agency amended its testing criteria to include people with fevers who had traveled to China, rather than just Wuhan.

Four days after the U.S. declared a state of emergency, only 178 patients had been tested and 82 others were listed as “pending,” meaning they were awaiting final results, according to CDC data released at the time.

To help increase the number of people being screened, the Food and Drug Administration issued emergency authorization for CDC-certified labs run by state health departments to begin processing swabs, and they were provided with kits that could test 250 patients.

As the first tests were processed at the state labs, technicians reported getting inconclusive results, which the CDC has said could be due to the test looking for signs of generic coronaviruses, of which there are many, rather than the specific virus that causes COVID-19.

Whatever the reason, by mid-February, only about a half-dozen state and local public health labs had reliable tests. But still, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield continued to insist his agency had developed “a very accurate test.”

“We found that, in some of the states, it didn’t work,” Redfield&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-tour-centers-disease-control-prevention-atlanta-ga/" target="_blank">said earlier this month</a>. “We figured out why. I don’t consider that a fault. I consider that doing quality control. I consider that success.”

The testing problems emerged just as the CDC broadened its criteria to include patients who were “severely ill” with COVID-19 symptoms “even if a known source of exposure has not been identified.”

As more sick people sought to be tested, many states were forced to limit access because of the flawed CDC test. Accounts began to emerge through social media of people with all the symptoms of COVID-19 who either couldn’t get tested or had test results delayed by days or even a week.

“I know of doctor friends of mine who have critically ill patients in the ICU, and we don’t know if they have COVID or not because we can’t get a test,” Jha said last week.

On Feb. 24, exasperated officials at the Association of Public Health Laboratories sent a letter to the FDA, basically asking permission for state labs to develop their own tests. Within days, the FDA reversed its previous position and said both public and private labs could conduct testing.

Trump continued to insist the virus would die out on its own. “One day, it’s like a miracle. It will disappear,” he predicted Feb. 27.

By then, experts say, the opportunity to halt the relentless spread of the virus within the U.S. population had been lost.

On Feb. 29, only 472 patients had been tested nationwide, with just 22 cases confirmed, according to CDC data. Of those, nine cases were not related to travel but had spread person-to-person within the U.S.

By comparison, South Korea had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on Jan. 20, the same day as the U.S. Officials there used a test that focused on the same gene targets as the WHO test, according to the website of a test manufacturer. They then quickly permitted private-sector labs to run the samples. As a result, a nation with less than one-sixth the population of the U.S. mobilized to test more than 20,000 people a day.

South Korea also instituted drive-thru centers, allowing quicker identification of those who were infected but might not be displaying symptoms, thus slowing the emergence of new cases to a more manageable level.

Meanwhile, the rate of U.S. infections soared.

“The system is not really geared to what we need right now, what you are asking for,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/76b0f255426ad655a26e927062e1fef9">Fauci conceded during a congressional hearing</a>&nbsp;earlier this month. “That is a failing. Let’s admit it.”

As public outrage over the lack of available U.S. tests grew, the FDA announced it would allow private diagnostic lab companies to produce new tests without preauthorization from regulators.

Trump and HHS Secretary Alex Azar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-tour-centers-disease-control-prevention-atlanta-ga/" target="_blank">visited the CDC lab</a>&nbsp;in Atlanta on March 6, praising the agency’s performance and promising 4 million test kits would be available by the end of the following week.

That lofty number didn’t match the ability of U.S. labs to process tests, however. Private providers were just then ramping up, while CDC and state health labs processed about 25,200 COVID-19 tests in the following seven days, according to CDC data.

At the same news conference, Trump said he wanted infected passengers to remain on a cruise ship off the West Coast to keep the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. low.

“I like the numbers being where they are,” Trump said, shortly before departing Atlanta for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9fP7XNHPWI/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank">another weekend of golf in Florida</a>. “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.”

Trump has also attempted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f4cd4c72e896d7fbd8ebd3516e864550">mislay blame</a>&nbsp;for the testing troubles on the Obama administration. In 2018, Trump disbanded the White House directorate charged with preparing for and responding to global pandemics.

“I don’t take responsibility at all,” Trump replied when asked about the testing shortfall in a March 13 briefing at the White House.

Morrison said Trump appears to see the virus as a political issue rather than a public health threat.

“You can imagine a White House that said, ‘Do whatever it takes to test everybody for the virus,’” he said. “That wasn’t the mentality. It was the opposite mentality, and ultimately the responsibility to protect the American people lies with the White House.”

Trump and other officials have falsely said they declined to use the WHO test because it isn’t reliable.

“Quality testing for our American people is paramount to us,” Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the U.S. coronavirus response, said last week. “It doesn’t help to put out a test where 50% or 47% are false positives.”

“It was a bad test,” Trump chimed in.

Tarik Jašarević, a WHO spokesman, told the AP last week that his agency had shipped 1.5 million testing kits manufactured in Germany to 120 countries around the globe, with no such problems emerging.

“The test has been validated in three external laboratories, adapted by WHO and manufactured in line with international quality standards,” he said. “It has shown consistently good performance in laboratory and clinical use, and neither a significant number of false-positive nor false-negative results have been reported.”

Over the past two weeks, U.S. testing capacity has surged, with private companies joining in. LabCorp began providing tests March 5, and Quest Diagnostics followed four days later. Tests also are being conducted at hospitals and other centers.

With the increased testing has come a skyrocketing number of confirmed cases, zooming from 43 at the beginning of March to 33,404 by Monday.

Only in the last few days has the United States finally begun testing more people each day than far smaller South Korea, according to data complied by Johns Hopkins University.

Jha estimates the U.S. should be testing 100,000 to 150,000 people per day — figures he said should be obtainable given the number of high-quality diagnostic labs in the country.

“We certainly have the capacity. It’s just we’re not doing it,” Jha said Thursday. “We are up to about 40,000 tests per day now — and so we are moving in the right direction. Still far from where we need to be, but moving.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584219029698.png" alt="Photo courtesy Missouri Department of Health and&nbsp; Senior Services" />
 <figcaption>Photo courtesy Missouri Department of Health and&nbsp; Senior Services</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — A series of missteps at the nation’s top public health agency caused a critical shortage of reliable laboratory tests for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak">the coronavirus</a>, hobbling the federal response as the pandemic spread across the country like wildfire, an Associated Press review found.President Donald Trump assured Americans early this month that the COVID-19 test developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “perfect” and that “anyone who wants a test can get a test.” But more than two months after the first U.S. case of the new disease was confirmed, many people still cannot get tested.In the critical month of February, as the virus began taking root in the U.S. population, CDC data shows government labs processed 352 COVID-19 tests — an average of only a dozen per day.“You cannot fight a fire blindfolded,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, said at a recent briefing. “We cannot stop this pandemic if we don’t know who is infected.”The Department of Health and Human Services, which includes the CDC, has begun an internal review to assess its own mistakes. But outside observers and federal health officials have pointed to four primary issues that together hampered the national response — the early decision not to use the test adopted by the World Health Organization, flaws with the more complex test developed by the CDC, government guidelines restricting who could be tested and delays in engaging the private sector to ramp up testing capacity.Combined with&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/67a9a72531ca2e332bea9225cec2fda5">messaging from the White House minimizing the disease</a>, that fueled a lackluster response that missed chances to slow the spread of the virus, they said.“There were many, many opportunities not to end up where we are,” Dr. Ashish K. Jha, the director of the Global Health Institute at Harvard, told the AP. “Basically, they took this as business as usual. ... And that’s because the messaging from the White House was ‘this is not a big deal, this is no worse than the flu.’ So that message basically created no sense of urgency within the FDA or the CDC to fix it.”Even as private labs have been cleared by government regulators to process tens of thousands of additional tests in the last two weeks, experts warn that the nation is still falling well short of enough testing capacity to keep ahead of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak">the highly contagious virus</a>. And it can often take a week just to get results back.Trump last week rated his administration’s response to the crisis as a perfect 10. However,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/432a37435f28015e8b45eeff710cd254">Dr. Anthony Fauci</a>, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the CDC’s system wasn’t designed to test for and track a widespread outbreak, which he characterized as “a failing.”In interviews with the AP, two federal health officials with direct knowledge of the situation said CDC experts don’t know why many of the agency’s test kits failed to reliably detect the virus. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about what went wrong.J. Stephen Morrison, a health policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, called the testing issues a “debacle,” contributing to what he described as a confused and delayed federal response to the crisis.As a result, he said, the CDC has now been marginalized within the White House — a worrisome development.“CDC has generally been regarded as the best in the game,” Morrison said. “I don’t think they anticipated the technical difficulty or the speed with which the virus has been moving. The virus was racing out ahead of them.”___FATEFUL DECISIONSOn New Year’s Eve, Chinese scientists informed the World Health Organization about a cluster of 27 pneumonia cases of unknown cause in the industrial megalopolis of Wuhan that they linked to the city’s wholesale fish market. Less than two weeks later, the Chinese had sequenced the virus’ genetic makeup and shared it with the world.Within days, German scientists had developed a test that could identify a unique part of the virus’ DNA. The WHO quickly adopted the German test,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/protocol-v2-1.pdf?sfvrsn=a9ef618c_2" target="_blank">publishing technical guidelines</a>&nbsp;on Jan. 17 and working with private companies to produce testing kits.As they have done with some past outbreaks, officials at the CDC headquarters in Atlanta decided to develop their own test, focusing on three gene targets distinct from what the WHO used. Over the decades, the headquarters lab had built a track record of being among the first to develop tests for new diseases and quickly making them available for disease tracking.The CDC published the technical details for its COVID-19 test on Jan. 28, 10 days after the WHO. By then, the virus had already been in the U.S. for at least two weeks.The 35-year-old man who would become the first American to test positive had arrived in Seattle on Jan. 15, following a trip to Wuhan. After swabs from his nose and throat were flown to the CDC lab, federal officials announced the results Jan. 21.In&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/22/trump-on-coronavirus-from-china-we-have-it-totally-under-control.html" target="_blank">an interview on CNBC</a>&nbsp;the following day, the Republican president was asked about the risk to the nation.“We have it totally under control,” he said. “It’s one person coming in from China. ... It’s going to be just fine.”With limited capacity at the CDC lab in Atlanta, the agency placed strict criteria on who could be tested: people with fevers, coughing or difficulty breathing who had also visited Wuhan within the preceding two weeks or who had close contact with someone already confirmed or under investigation for having the virus.On Jan. 30, the day the WHO declared the outbreak a public health emergency, Trump again assured the American people that the virus was “very well under control.”Then he departed for a weekend at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where he&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1223640662689689602?s=20" target="_blank">tweeted a photo of himself playing golf</a>&nbsp;at his club in West Palm Beach.“Getting a little exercise this morning!” the president wrote.The following day, the U.S. declared its own emergency. Still, U.S. citizens returning from China who did not have a fever weren’t tested for the virus but were encouraged to self-quarantine at home for 14 days.At that point, the CDC had confirmed just eight cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. The agency amended its testing criteria to include people with fevers who had traveled to China, rather than just Wuhan.___FLAWED TEST KITSFour days after the U.S. declared a state of emergency, only 178 patients had been tested and 82 others were listed as “pending,” meaning they were awaiting final results, according to CDC data released at the time.To help increase the number of people being screened, the Food and Drug Administration issued emergency authorization for CDC-certified labs run by state health departments to begin processing swabs, and they were provided with kits that could test 250 patients.As the first tests were processed at the state labs, technicians reported getting inconclusive results, which the CDC has said could be due to the test looking for signs of generic coronaviruses, of which there are many, rather than the specific virus that causes COVID-19.Whatever the reason, by mid-February, only about a half-dozen state and local public health labs had reliable tests. But still, CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield continued to insist his agency had developed “a very accurate test.”“We found that, in some of the states, it didn’t work,” Redfield&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-tour-centers-disease-control-prevention-atlanta-ga/" target="_blank">said earlier this month</a>. “We figured out why. I don’t consider that a fault. I consider that doing quality control. I consider that success.”The testing problems emerged just as the CDC broadened its criteria to include patients who were “severely ill” with COVID-19 symptoms “even if a known source of exposure has not been identified.”As more sick people sought to be tested, many states were forced to limit access because of the flawed CDC test. Accounts began to emerge through social media of people with all the symptoms of COVID-19 who either couldn’t get tested or had test results delayed by days or even a week.“I know of doctor friends of mine who have critically ill patients in the ICU, and we don’t know if they have COVID or not because we can’t get a test,” Jha said last week.___COMMUNITY TRANSMISSIONOn Feb. 24, exasperated officials at the Association of Public Health Laboratories sent a letter to the FDA, basically asking permission for state labs to develop their own tests. Within days, the FDA reversed its previous position and said both public and private labs could conduct testing.Trump continued to insist the virus would die out on its own. “One day, it’s like a miracle. It will disappear,” he predicted Feb. 27.By then, experts say, the opportunity to halt the relentless spread of the virus within the U.S. population had been lost.On Feb. 29, only 472 patients had been tested nationwide, with just 22 cases confirmed, according to CDC data. Of those, nine cases were not related to travel but had spread person-to-person within the U.S.By comparison, South Korea had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on Jan. 20, the same day as the U.S. Officials there used a test that focused on the same gene targets as the WHO test, according to the website of a test manufacturer. They then quickly permitted private-sector labs to run the samples. As a result, a nation with less than one-sixth the population of the U.S. mobilized to test more than 20,000 people a day.South Korea also instituted drive-thru centers, allowing quicker identification of those who were infected but might not be displaying symptoms, thus slowing the emergence of new cases to a more manageable level.Meanwhile, the rate of U.S. infections soared.“The system is not really geared to what we need right now, what you are asking for,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/76b0f255426ad655a26e927062e1fef9">Fauci conceded during a congressional hearing</a>&nbsp;earlier this month. “That is a failing. Let’s admit it.”___SHIFTING BLAMEAs public outrage over the lack of available U.S. tests grew, the FDA announced it would allow private diagnostic lab companies to produce new tests without preauthorization from regulators.Trump and HHS Secretary Alex Azar&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-tour-centers-disease-control-prevention-atlanta-ga/" target="_blank">visited the CDC lab</a>&nbsp;in Atlanta on March 6, praising the agency’s performance and promising 4 million test kits would be available by the end of the following week.That lofty number didn’t match the ability of U.S. labs to process tests, however. Private providers were just then ramping up, while CDC and state health labs processed about 25,200 COVID-19 tests in the following seven days, according to CDC data.At the same news conference, Trump said he wanted infected passengers to remain on a cruise ship off the West Coast to keep the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. low.“I like the numbers being where they are,” Trump said, shortly before departing Atlanta for&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B9fP7XNHPWI/?utm_source=ig_embed" target="_blank">another weekend of golf in Florida</a>. “I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.”Trump has also attempted to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/f4cd4c72e896d7fbd8ebd3516e864550">mislay blame</a>&nbsp;for the testing troubles on the Obama administration. In 2018, Trump disbanded the White House directorate charged with preparing for and responding to global pandemics.“I don’t take responsibility at all,” Trump replied when asked about the testing shortfall in a March 13 briefing at the White House.Morrison said Trump appears to see the virus as a political issue rather than a public health threat.“You can imagine a White House that said, ‘Do whatever it takes to test everybody for the virus,’” he said. “That wasn’t the mentality. It was the opposite mentality, and ultimately the responsibility to protect the American people lies with the White House.”Trump and other officials have falsely said they declined to use the WHO test because it isn’t reliable.“Quality testing for our American people is paramount to us,” Deborah Birx, who is coordinating the U.S. coronavirus response, said last week. “It doesn’t help to put out a test where 50% or 47% are false positives.”“It was a bad test,” Trump chimed in.Tarik Jašarević, a WHO spokesman, told the AP last week that his agency had shipped 1.5 million testing kits manufactured in Germany to 120 countries around the globe, with no such problems emerging.“The test has been validated in three external laboratories, adapted by WHO and manufactured in line with international quality standards,” he said. “It has shown consistently good performance in laboratory and clinical use, and neither a significant number of false-positive nor false-negative results have been reported.”Over the past two weeks, U.S. testing capacity has surged, with private companies joining in. LabCorp began providing tests March 5, and Quest Diagnostics followed four days later. Tests also are being conducted at hospitals and other centers.With the increased testing has come a skyrocketing number of confirmed cases, zooming from 43 at the beginning of March to 33,404 by Monday.Only in the last few days has the United States finally begun testing more people each day than far smaller South Korea, according to data complied by Johns Hopkins University.Jha estimates the U.S. should be testing 100,000 to 150,000 people per day — figures he said should be obtainable given the number of high-quality diagnostic labs in the country.“We certainly have the capacity. It’s just we’re not doing it,” Jha said Thursday. “We are up to about 40,000 tests per day now — and so we are moving in the right direction. Still far from where we need to be, but moving.”___

Testing blunders crippled US response as coronavirus spread

With the national unleaded fuel price average at $2.10 a gallon, pump prices are 52-cents less than this time last year, reports AAA.&nbsp; 

Twenty-one states have gas price averages at $2 or less including Nebraska’s neighboring states of Kansas ($1.87, Missouri ($1.84, and Iowa ($1.89).&nbsp; 

Oklahoma has the lowest state average in the nation at $1.69 a gallon for unleaded fuel.

&nbsp;“Nebraska will soon join the states with a fuel price average of $2 a gallon or less,” reports Rose White, spokesperson for AAA—The Auto Club Group.&nbsp; “The state average is currently at $2.01 a gallon.&nbsp; During the past week, the average has fallen 13 cents a gallon and is currently 57 cents lower than last year at this time. The last time the state average fell below $2 a gallon was March 11, 2016.”&nbsp;

Crude oil is the biggest driver of the less expensive gas prices. 

In the last week, crude oil prices dropped to $22 a barrel in the U.S. trading market – a low not seen since 2002, says AAA.&nbsp;AAA’s Fuel Gauge website, which is updated daily, includes a color-coded county map of each state.&nbsp; 

The Nebraska state map shows that county averages range from a high of $2.49 a gallon (Thomas and Hooker counties) to a low of $1.56 (Thurston county).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Typically gas prices start to trend more expensive at the beginning of spring, but that is not the case this year,” White said. “With Americans urged to stay at home and practice social distancing to slow the spread of coronavirus, there is less traffic on the roadways which is driving down fuel consumption.”

With retail pump prices continuing their downward trend, AAA anticipates that the national average may reach $2 a gallon by the end of this month.&nbsp;

For the latest information on fuel prices, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank">www.gasprices.AAA.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By AAAWith the national unleaded fuel price average at $2.10 a gallon, pump prices are 52-cents less than this time last year, reports AAA.&nbsp; Twenty-one states have gas price averages at $2 or less including Nebraska’s neighboring states of Kansas ($1.87, Missouri ($1.84, and Iowa ($1.89).&nbsp; Oklahoma has the lowest state average in the nation at $1.69 a gallon for unleaded fuel.&nbsp;“Nebraska will soon join the states with a fuel price average of $2 a gallon or less,” reports Rose White, spokesperson for AAA—The Auto Club Group.&nbsp; “The state average is currently at $2.01 a gallon.&nbsp; During the past week, the average has fallen 13 cents a gallon and is currently 57 cents lower than last year at this time. The last time the state average fell below $2 a gallon was March 11, 2016.”&nbsp;Crude oil is the biggest driver of the less expensive gas prices. In the last week, crude oil prices dropped to $22 a barrel in the U.S. trading market – a low not seen since 2002, says AAA.&nbsp;AAA’s Fuel Gauge website, which is updated daily, includes a color-coded county map of each state.&nbsp; The Nebraska state map shows that county averages range from a high of $2.49 a gallon (Thomas and Hooker counties) to a low of $1.56 (Thurston county).&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;“Typically gas prices start to trend more expensive at the beginning of spring, but that is not the case this year,” White said. “With Americans urged to stay at home and practice social distancing to slow the spread of coronavirus, there is less traffic on the roadways which is driving down fuel consumption.”With retail pump prices continuing their downward trend, AAA anticipates that the national average may reach $2 a gallon by the end of this month.&nbsp;For the latest information on fuel prices, visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank">www.gasprices.AAA.com</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Gas price averages drop to $2/gallon or less in 21 states, NE soon to follow

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire Warren Buffett is appearing in an animated ad about proper hand-washing techniques to help educate kids during the coronavirus outbreak. 

The new pubic service announcement is tied to "The Secret Millionaire's Club" cartoon that features advice from an animated version of the billionaire investor. 

Buffett lent his voice to the ad that touts the benefits of washing hands for at least 20 seconds like public health experts recommend. 

Genius Brands, which produces the cartoon featuring Berkshire Hathaway's chairman and CEO, is distributing the ad. 

It also produced another hand-washing ad voiced by actress Jennifer Garner from its “Llama Llama” series.&nbsp;

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Billionaire Warren Buffett is appearing in an animated ad about proper hand-washing techniques to help educate kids during the coronavirus outbreak. The new pubic service announcement is tied to "The Secret Millionaire's Club" cartoon that features advice from an animated version of the billionaire investor. Buffett lent his voice to the ad that touts the benefits of washing hands for at least 20 seconds like public health experts recommend. Genius Brands, which produces the cartoon featuring Berkshire Hathaway's chairman and CEO, is distributing the ad. It also produced another hand-washing ad voiced by actress Jennifer Garner from its “Llama Llama” series.&nbsp;

Warren Buffett makes cartoon ad about proper hand washing

SCOTTSBLUFF ―&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;is tightening the current visitor restrictions to protect patients and staff. These restrictions will be implemented at all&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;healthcare facilities including the Medical Center, all&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;Physicians Clinics, Scottsbluff Surgery Center, offsite physician clinics, and Urgent Care immediately. Visitors 18 years and younger will not be allowed to visit, unless they are a patient or parent of a patient. Valet service is closed and curbside assistance is limited.

In addition, every visitor will be screened and asked the following questions:

1.&nbsp;&nbsp;Have you had a fever in the past 24 hours?

2.&nbsp;&nbsp;Have you had a sore throat in the past 24 hours?

3.&nbsp;&nbsp;Have you had a cough or shortness of breath in the past 24 hours?

Screeners will also ask about recent travel outside of the Nebraska panhandle or areas of high-risk for COVID-19 as well as if you have had contact with a person known to be infected with COVID-19.

If the visitor answers “YES” to any of these questions they will not be allowed to enter the facility. If they are seeking care, they will be required to put on a mask before entering.

Visiting hours at the Medical Center are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. All visitors should enter through the Birth and Infant Care Center entrance #6 located on the north side of the facility.&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;Medical Center will accommodate ONE visitor per patient at a time. Visitors will check-in so that we may monitor the number of visitation requests per patient. They will be asked to check-out when exiting the facility.

Patients seeking care at any&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;Physicians Clinic or Urgent Care may be accompanied by ONE caregiver or family member following the current restrictions. We ask that children not accompany family members to appointments unless the child needs care.

Community Pharmacy at&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;will be offering prescription services at the drive up seven days a week including Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. The walk in pharmacy will be open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Anyone in the&nbsp;western Nebraska region who has potentially been exposed to COVID-19 and has a fever, sore throat, cough or shortness of breath should call 308-630-1580 before going to any&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;healthcare facility. Healthcare providers will determine if the patient can be cared for at home or if screening is necessary.

As a&nbsp;regional&nbsp;referral center,&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;provides a continuum of specialized care for people of all ages − from pediatric to adult patients. When an even higher level of care is necessary, patients are transferred to tertiary care partners for the most advanced treatment.

Remember, the best way to protect yourself from all respiratory viruses includes washing your hands frequently with soap and water; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands; covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue then throwing the tissue in the trash; staying home when you are sick; and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects.

Information is changing quickly. Please check the&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;website and Facebook page for current restrictions as well as support group updates. For current Nebraska and national information about COVID-19, visit cdc.gov.­­&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.rwhs.org/" target="_blank">Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;Health Services</a>&nbsp;in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;Medical Center, a 188-bed&nbsp;regional&nbsp;referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center,&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers, and 2,000 employees,&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of&nbsp;western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

SCOTTSBLUFF ―&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;is tightening the current visitor restrictions to protect patients and staff. These restrictions will be implemented at all&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;healthcare facilities including the Medical Center, all&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;Physicians Clinics, Scottsbluff Surgery Center, offsite physician clinics, and Urgent Care immediately. Visitors 18 years and younger will not be allowed to visit, unless they are a patient or parent of a patient. Valet service is closed and curbside assistance is limited.In addition, every visitor will be screened and asked the following questions:1.&nbsp;&nbsp;Have you had a fever in the past 24 hours?2.&nbsp;&nbsp;Have you had a sore throat in the past 24 hours?3.&nbsp;&nbsp;Have you had a cough or shortness of breath in the past 24 hours?Screeners will also ask about recent travel outside of the Nebraska panhandle or areas of high-risk for COVID-19 as well as if you have had contact with a person known to be infected with COVID-19.If the visitor answers “YES” to any of these questions they will not be allowed to enter the facility. If they are seeking care, they will be required to put on a mask before entering.Visiting hours at the Medical Center are from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. All visitors should enter through the Birth and Infant Care Center entrance #6 located on the north side of the facility.&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;Medical Center will accommodate ONE visitor per patient at a time. Visitors will check-in so that we may monitor the number of visitation requests per patient. They will be asked to check-out when exiting the facility.Patients seeking care at any&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;Physicians Clinic or Urgent Care may be accompanied by ONE caregiver or family member following the current restrictions. We ask that children not accompany family members to appointments unless the child needs care.Community Pharmacy at&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;will be offering prescription services at the drive up seven days a week including Saturdays 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays 1 to 5 p.m. The walk in pharmacy will be open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.Anyone in the&nbsp;western Nebraska region who has potentially been exposed to COVID-19 and has a fever, sore throat, cough or shortness of breath should call 308-630-1580 before going to any&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;healthcare facility. Healthcare providers will determine if the patient can be cared for at home or if screening is necessary.As a&nbsp;regional&nbsp;referral center,&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;provides a continuum of specialized care for people of all ages − from pediatric to adult patients. When an even higher level of care is necessary, patients are transferred to tertiary care partners for the most advanced treatment.Remember, the best way to protect yourself from all respiratory viruses includes washing your hands frequently with soap and water; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands; covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue then throwing the tissue in the trash; staying home when you are sick; and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects.Information is changing quickly. Please check the&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;website and Facebook page for current restrictions as well as support group updates. For current Nebraska and national information about COVID-19, visit cdc.gov.­­&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://www.rwhs.org/" target="_blank">Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;Health Services</a>&nbsp;in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;Medical Center, a 188-bed&nbsp;regional&nbsp;referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center,&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers, and 2,000 employees,&nbsp;Regional&nbsp;West&nbsp;provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of&nbsp;western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Regional West tightening visitor restrictions at all healthcare facilities

By Amity Palmer, Director of Tourism &amp; BBDC Assistant Director

With social distancing being the theme for any activity right now, I’d like to highlight Laing Lake. As we are all itching to get outside and enjoy some of the nicer weather, get out and take a stroll through the park or do your other exercise of choice while soaking up some sun and getting fresh air. Brush the dust off your frisbee for a game of disc golf on the newly expanded 18-hole disc golf course for more competitive fun and come up with some creative ideas on scoring or a prize for the winner to add a new spin on play. 

Get out your other sports and outdoor equipment to play soccer, dodge ball, skateboarding, horseshoes, or any other thing you enjoy! Just sit and relax while watching the geese, ducks and other natural beauty under a sunrise or sunset only found in Nebraska. Grab your fishing pole and tackle box and pick a spot for the perfect activity to calm your mind. 

Please remember to take all of the proper precautions for social distancing.

Please practice patience as we all do our best to navigate through the unknown together and be safe. Follow your local, state, and national guidelines for health and safety.

Due to the current evolving status of the COVID-19 virus, all events are subject to change currently. Please contact each event’s coordinator directly to verify any changes or cancellations.

By Amity Palmer, Director of Tourism &amp; BBDC Assistant DirectorWith social distancing being the theme for any activity right now, I’d like to highlight Laing Lake. As we are all itching to get outside and enjoy some of the nicer weather, get out and take a stroll through the park or do your other exercise of choice while soaking up some sun and getting fresh air. Brush the dust off your frisbee for a game of disc golf on the newly expanded 18-hole disc golf course for more competitive fun and come up with some creative ideas on scoring or a prize for the winner to add a new spin on play. Get out your other sports and outdoor equipment to play soccer, dodge ball, skateboarding, horseshoes, or any other thing you enjoy! Just sit and relax while watching the geese, ducks and other natural beauty under a sunrise or sunset only found in Nebraska. Grab your fishing pole and tackle box and pick a spot for the perfect activity to calm your mind. Please remember to take all of the proper precautions for social distancing.Please practice patience as we all do our best to navigate through the unknown together and be safe. Follow your local, state, and national guidelines for health and safety.Due to the current evolving status of the COVID-19 virus, all events are subject to change currently. Please contact each event’s coordinator directly to verify any changes or cancellations.

Box Butte County Activity Report: Laing Lake 

In the old days, Church pastors frowned on their church members staying home to watch television preachers Rex Humbard, Jerry Falwell or Robert Schuller. The sick and the very elderly were typically pardoned but that was as far as grace was extended.&nbsp;&nbsp;The vast majority of churches across the land did not televise their services or broadcast church on the radio. Traditionally churches have preferred keeping their flock coming to the "house of God."&nbsp;Essentially most churches haven't changed their philosophy. Congregations have always enjoyed "gathering" to sing, hear sermons, eat meals together and importantly -shake hands.&nbsp;Media ministry in the old days was usually reserved for the large and affluent churches that could afford to buy television time or at least radio air time. Television broadcasting has always been expensive and so very few churches have been able to televise their services. A few more churches through the years have been able to afford radio time.

I remember one of my old-time preacher friends shaming his congregation one Sunday. He said, "One reason you people should not sit home and watch church on your television is because you can't shake hands with your television."&nbsp;The church has always placed a lot of emphasis on "togetherness, shaking hands, hugging and embracing others."&nbsp; Now, no one wants to shake hands and embrace each other. Because of Covid-19 people are trying to stay six feet apart. Furthermore, almost every minister and congregation in the country has the ability to broadcast his or her service via the Internet or Facebook. Media ministry now is available to almost everyone. Ministers now want people to tune in on Facebook or whatever media they are using.&nbsp;Ministers still prefer that people attend church, but if they are the "ones" being watched then it's fine.&nbsp;It's ironic how things change. What used to be kind of taboo for some churches is widely embraced now. One of the reasons is because it's so available. It's also affordable. People have computers and cell phones. People are on Facebook or have some other Internet accessibility. Radio airtime is more affordable in many areas. Things and times change. Plus, we've never been hit by anything like this pandemic where people are being told to stay home and that church is off limits. Whoever thought that church attendance might be ordered by the governor to be off limits?&nbsp;Many houses of worship began building their websites years ago so that members could do their giving online. This is a good thing especially if people are already in the habit of donating this way. Churches who do not gather typically never recoup their giving. Some faithful members will catch up on charitable giving but most will not. Churches along with everyone will suffer during this pandemic.&nbsp;

Houses of faith will survive during this virus crisis but life will change for most congregations. Many will be excited to get back to the church pew and shaking hands when they can. Or, they may conclude they don't need to shake hands anymore.

Click here for -&gt;&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LWOxQTzvJrXTHtIhOyX3XCaAjh05qNKRWoD6Wvass2xaGiiAV6wJ2b-w1GM7s_311iVyvSPGuJ-SobYz00rAu6h-KjqbBQCz12A_nrCoZV5slXsqtErDkRLUUgOEbX6-kpA_JQER9t1u1kSK1HWa0nRHoGYRJL4oksF6UEHoycvfc90j7C-_Nnl2BnEgoS11_brOop77BTqMN78qq3uka6EfB3T9z_zJJIYe4wIPI7e0ysWhKnPQGbecmVelXEMkbae-dzwKEtkeu6gjHpOQZin55TF0sEsK&amp;c=K6zNL7uIkou_wfdbHfm1OhuPUxSuxkRKbg1jUYow-EhXXvKom4EbGA==&amp;ch=E-lMdJ-Yt4z61bn9UH0wgCmSGolv0BKu2DLNO_j6CQxsmWdD4_iisQ==" target="_blank">Books By Glenn Mollette&nbsp;</a>, Read his latest book Uncommon SenseMusic by Glenn Mollette through<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LWOxQTzvJrXTHtIhOyX3XCaAjh05qNKRWoD6Wvass2xaGiiAV6wJ2aGI0VXZbjnVqMV_SHljuHq7Js6YMIImvHZrW2436loNuYLz0nLnxRbErH4DZ7AXGw39ALL2nGiLx0PrJl3genTyQ6FlwaUpjU_KIYkv5dvN4Awjip7Za95OCrXAOx8akD3frMNJbTLeW_7QUq0rp4lPc90WOKj7PuBqsMoHnY57&amp;c=K6zNL7uIkou_wfdbHfm1OhuPUxSuxkRKbg1jUYow-EhXXvKom4EbGA==&amp;ch=E-lMdJ-Yt4z61bn9UH0wgCmSGolv0BKu2DLNO_j6CQxsmWdD4_iisQ==" target="_blank">&nbsp;iTunes&nbsp;</a>and all music dealersContact him at GMollette@aol.com. &nbsp; Learn more at&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LWOxQTzvJrXTHtIhOyX3XCaAjh05qNKRWoD6Wvass2xaGiiAV6wJ2fSLW318emSW_vngN2wO-i_jdTYhiLHCoGab2IySmtAGX-ALF74BLN8oru5osr8WClkbaCpvK1uXuephM0IBghYz8fES0bjOzmMaM9W7C_X0yJFo1rJr4z2uB0-APcbUkg==&amp;c=K6zNL7uIkou_wfdbHfm1OhuPUxSuxkRKbg1jUYow-EhXXvKom4EbGA==&amp;ch=E-lMdJ-Yt4z61bn9UH0wgCmSGolv0BKu2DLNO_j6CQxsmWdD4_iisQ==" target="_blank">www.glennmollette.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; Like his facebook page at&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LWOxQTzvJrXTHtIhOyX3XCaAjh05qNKRWoD6Wvass2xaGiiAV6wJ2TMutSAo8uXzK4KPvoIcXCbElUEF4Iu5yTG5BICNU6uNXqEhj6-6IazxXrtiJ30DWUEUkGYWUgObstvffLAEzXT1CED1iv_Nl6RFnCPR1KjIF64J0SCnVNqNepyETzKUYwBuRoFe130p&amp;c=K6zNL7uIkou_wfdbHfm1OhuPUxSuxkRKbg1jUYow-EhXXvKom4EbGA==&amp;ch=E-lMdJ-Yt4z61bn9UH0wgCmSGolv0BKu2DLNO_j6CQxsmWdD4_iisQ==" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/glennmollette</a>

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1584032762080.jpeg" alt="Dr. Glenn Mollette" />
 <figcaption>Dr. Glenn Mollette</figcaption>
 </figure>&nbsp;Dr. Glenn MolletteIn the old days, Church pastors frowned on their church members staying home to watch television preachers Rex Humbard, Jerry Falwell or Robert Schuller. The sick and the very elderly were typically pardoned but that was as far as grace was extended.&nbsp;&nbsp;The vast majority of churches across the land did not televise their services or broadcast church on the radio. Traditionally churches have preferred keeping their flock coming to the "house of God."&nbsp;Essentially most churches haven't changed their philosophy. Congregations have always enjoyed "gathering" to sing, hear sermons, eat meals together and importantly -shake hands.&nbsp;Media ministry in the old days was usually reserved for the large and affluent churches that could afford to buy television time or at least radio air time. Television broadcasting has always been expensive and so very few churches have been able to televise their services. A few more churches through the years have been able to afford radio time.I remember one of my old-time preacher friends shaming his congregation one Sunday. He said, "One reason you people should not sit home and watch church on your television is because you can't shake hands with your television."&nbsp;The church has always placed a lot of emphasis on "togetherness, shaking hands, hugging and embracing others."&nbsp; Now, no one wants to shake hands and embrace each other. Because of Covid-19 people are trying to stay six feet apart. Furthermore, almost every minister and congregation in the country has the ability to broadcast his or her service via the Internet or Facebook. Media ministry now is available to almost everyone. Ministers now want people to tune in on Facebook or whatever media they are using.&nbsp;Ministers still prefer that people attend church, but if they are the "ones" being watched then it's fine.&nbsp;It's ironic how things change. What used to be kind of taboo for some churches is widely embraced now. One of the reasons is because it's so available. It's also affordable. People have computers and cell phones. People are on Facebook or have some other Internet accessibility. Radio airtime is more affordable in many areas. Things and times change. Plus, we've never been hit by anything like this pandemic where people are being told to stay home and that church is off limits. Whoever thought that church attendance might be ordered by the governor to be off limits?&nbsp;Many houses of worship began building their websites years ago so that members could do their giving online. This is a good thing especially if people are already in the habit of donating this way. Churches who do not gather typically never recoup their giving. Some faithful members will catch up on charitable giving but most will not. Churches along with everyone will suffer during this pandemic.&nbsp;Houses of faith will survive during this virus crisis but life will change for most congregations. Many will be excited to get back to the church pew and shaking hands when they can. Or, they may conclude they don't need to shake hands anymore.Click here for -&gt;&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LWOxQTzvJrXTHtIhOyX3XCaAjh05qNKRWoD6Wvass2xaGiiAV6wJ2b-w1GM7s_311iVyvSPGuJ-SobYz00rAu6h-KjqbBQCz12A_nrCoZV5slXsqtErDkRLUUgOEbX6-kpA_JQER9t1u1kSK1HWa0nRHoGYRJL4oksF6UEHoycvfc90j7C-_Nnl2BnEgoS11_brOop77BTqMN78qq3uka6EfB3T9z_zJJIYe4wIPI7e0ysWhKnPQGbecmVelXEMkbae-dzwKEtkeu6gjHpOQZin55TF0sEsK&amp;c=K6zNL7uIkou_wfdbHfm1OhuPUxSuxkRKbg1jUYow-EhXXvKom4EbGA==&amp;ch=E-lMdJ-Yt4z61bn9UH0wgCmSGolv0BKu2DLNO_j6CQxsmWdD4_iisQ==" target="_blank">Books By Glenn Mollette&nbsp;</a>, Read his latest book Uncommon SenseMusic by Glenn Mollette through<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LWOxQTzvJrXTHtIhOyX3XCaAjh05qNKRWoD6Wvass2xaGiiAV6wJ2aGI0VXZbjnVqMV_SHljuHq7Js6YMIImvHZrW2436loNuYLz0nLnxRbErH4DZ7AXGw39ALL2nGiLx0PrJl3genTyQ6FlwaUpjU_KIYkv5dvN4Awjip7Za95OCrXAOx8akD3frMNJbTLeW_7QUq0rp4lPc90WOKj7PuBqsMoHnY57&amp;c=K6zNL7uIkou_wfdbHfm1OhuPUxSuxkRKbg1jUYow-EhXXvKom4EbGA==&amp;ch=E-lMdJ-Yt4z61bn9UH0wgCmSGolv0BKu2DLNO_j6CQxsmWdD4_iisQ==" target="_blank">&nbsp;iTunes&nbsp;</a>and all music dealersContact him at GMollette@aol.com. &nbsp; Learn more at&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LWOxQTzvJrXTHtIhOyX3XCaAjh05qNKRWoD6Wvass2xaGiiAV6wJ2fSLW318emSW_vngN2wO-i_jdTYhiLHCoGab2IySmtAGX-ALF74BLN8oru5osr8WClkbaCpvK1uXuephM0IBghYz8fES0bjOzmMaM9W7C_X0yJFo1rJr4z2uB0-APcbUkg==&amp;c=K6zNL7uIkou_wfdbHfm1OhuPUxSuxkRKbg1jUYow-EhXXvKom4EbGA==&amp;ch=E-lMdJ-Yt4z61bn9UH0wgCmSGolv0BKu2DLNO_j6CQxsmWdD4_iisQ==" target="_blank">www.glennmollette.com</a>&nbsp;&nbsp; Like his facebook page at&nbsp;<a href="http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001LWOxQTzvJrXTHtIhOyX3XCaAjh05qNKRWoD6Wvass2xaGiiAV6wJ2TMutSAo8uXzK4KPvoIcXCbElUEF4Iu5yTG5BICNU6uNXqEhj6-6IazxXrtiJ30DWUEUkGYWUgObstvffLAEzXT1CED1iv_Nl6RFnCPR1KjIF64J0SCnVNqNepyETzKUYwBuRoFe130p&amp;c=K6zNL7uIkou_wfdbHfm1OhuPUxSuxkRKbg1jUYow-EhXXvKom4EbGA==&amp;ch=E-lMdJ-Yt4z61bn9UH0wgCmSGolv0BKu2DLNO_j6CQxsmWdD4_iisQ==" target="_blank">www.facebook.com/glennmollette</a>

Column: COVID-19 and churches shaking hands?

It’s hard to believe how quickly the coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed our lives in just a matter of weeks.&nbsp; I am grateful to Nebraskans for making sacrifices and taking precautions to help slow the spread of the virus and keep people healthy.&nbsp; Nebraskans have been complying with limitations on social gatherings and practicing good hygiene.&nbsp; These actions are vitally important as we seek to protect everyone from the virus, especially the most vulnerable people in our state.&nbsp;

Restaurants have adjusted how they serve customers, moving to takeout, drive-thru, or curbside services.&nbsp; Parents and educators are finding creative ways to continue studies through distance learning and homeschooling.&nbsp; Churches are live-streaming their worship services and making lessons available online for families.&nbsp; I especially want to thank our healthcare professionals, first responders, and law enforcement who have been working to keep Nebraska moving during this public health emergency.

The last week has proven that COVID-19 can spread rapidly.&nbsp; Positive cases have now been confirmed in Adams, Buffalo, Cass, Dawson, Douglas, Knox, Lancaster, Lincoln, Madison, Nemaha, Sarpy, and Washington counties as of March 23rd.&nbsp; Social distancing and good hygiene are the best weapons against the virus, while we work to further ramp up testing and develop a vaccine.

We have two levels of social distancing restrictions.&nbsp; Right now, the entire state must abide by guidance to limit social gatherings to 10 people.&nbsp; Outside of Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington counties, restaurants and bars can have up to 10 patrons—although they are encouraged to transition to takeout, curbside, or delivery services.&nbsp;

In the Omaha area, cases of “community transmission” have been confirmed.&nbsp; Community transmission cases are cases that our public health teams have not been able to trace to their origin.&nbsp; After discovering these community transmission cases, the State issued a Directed Health Measure (DHM) for Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington counties on March 19th. &nbsp;The DHM imposes an enforceable limit on public gatherings, restricting them to 10 people or less.&nbsp; Among other steps, the DHM requires restaurants and bars in these areas to close their dining areas and move to takeout, drive-thru, delivery, and/or curbside service through April 30, 2020.&nbsp; Hospitals are also canceling elective surgeries.

As other regions of the state confirm community transmission of COVID-19, we will issue DHMs for other parts of the state to increase social distancing measures.&nbsp; Full information about the statewide guidance and DHM for specific counties can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.governor.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">www.Governor.Nebraska.gov</a>.

All Nebraskans, both rural and urban, should continue to take this virus with the utmost seriousness. &nbsp;If you show any symptoms, stay home and immediately contact your healthcare provider for an initial screening. &nbsp;All Nebraskans should wash their hands regularly, greet people verbally, and clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces.&nbsp; And keep a distance of six feet from people when out in public.

As our response continues, I am also working with the Legislature on an emergency package to provide $83 million of funding to combat COVID-19 in Nebraska. &nbsp;Here’s a quick overview of the package:

As our response continues, we will monitor the needs of our public health teams, medical centers, labs, and care facilities to make sure they have the best possible access to resources. &nbsp;

In the coming days, Nebraskans should continue to practice social distancing and stay informed about the coronavirus.&nbsp; The more action we take individually now, the more we can slow the spread of COVID-19.&nbsp; In addition to my website, you should also follow&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/Coronavirus" target="_blank">www.dhhs.ne.gov/Coronavirus</a>&nbsp;for the latest information.&nbsp; If you have questions, we have also set up a COVID-19 information line: 402-552-6645. &nbsp;It’s open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., every day of the week.&nbsp; Working together, we can make the sacrifices we need to beat COVID-19.

It’s hard to believe how quickly the coronavirus (COVID-19) has changed our lives in just a matter of weeks.&nbsp; I am grateful to Nebraskans for making sacrifices and taking precautions to help slow the spread of the virus and keep people healthy.&nbsp; Nebraskans have been complying with limitations on social gatherings and practicing good hygiene.&nbsp; These actions are vitally important as we seek to protect everyone from the virus, especially the most vulnerable people in our state.&nbsp;Restaurants have adjusted how they serve customers, moving to takeout, drive-thru, or curbside services.&nbsp; Parents and educators are finding creative ways to continue studies through distance learning and homeschooling.&nbsp; Churches are live-streaming their worship services and making lessons available online for families.&nbsp; I especially want to thank our healthcare professionals, first responders, and law enforcement who have been working to keep Nebraska moving during this public health emergency.The last week has proven that COVID-19 can spread rapidly.&nbsp; Positive cases have now been confirmed in Adams, Buffalo, Cass, Dawson, Douglas, Knox, Lancaster, Lincoln, Madison, Nemaha, Sarpy, and Washington counties as of March 23rd.&nbsp; Social distancing and good hygiene are the best weapons against the virus, while we work to further ramp up testing and develop a vaccine.We have two levels of social distancing restrictions.&nbsp; Right now, the entire state must abide by guidance to limit social gatherings to 10 people.&nbsp; Outside of Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington counties, restaurants and bars can have up to 10 patrons—although they are encouraged to transition to takeout, curbside, or delivery services.&nbsp;In the Omaha area, cases of “community transmission” have been confirmed.&nbsp; Community transmission cases are cases that our public health teams have not been able to trace to their origin.&nbsp; After discovering these community transmission cases, the State issued a Directed Health Measure (DHM) for Cass, Douglas, Sarpy, and Washington counties on March 19th. &nbsp;The DHM imposes an enforceable limit on public gatherings, restricting them to 10 people or less.&nbsp; Among other steps, the DHM requires restaurants and bars in these areas to close their dining areas and move to takeout, drive-thru, delivery, and/or curbside service through April 30, 2020.&nbsp; Hospitals are also canceling elective surgeries.As other regions of the state confirm community transmission of COVID-19, we will issue DHMs for other parts of the state to increase social distancing measures.&nbsp; Full information about the statewide guidance and DHM for specific counties can be found at&nbsp;<a href="http://www.governor.nebraska.gov/" target="_blank">www.Governor.Nebraska.gov</a>.All Nebraskans, both rural and urban, should continue to take this virus with the utmost seriousness. &nbsp;If you show any symptoms, stay home and immediately contact your healthcare provider for an initial screening. &nbsp;All Nebraskans should wash their hands regularly, greet people verbally, and clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces.&nbsp; And keep a distance of six feet from people when out in public.As our response continues, I am also working with the Legislature on an emergency package to provide $83 million of funding to combat COVID-19 in Nebraska. &nbsp;Here’s a quick overview of the package:<ol>
 <li>Assistance for Nebraska Communities:&nbsp; The largest portion will go towards purchasing much-need personal protective equipment (PPE) to help our communities respond.&nbsp; It will also help Local Public Health Departments (LHD) to ramp up staffing and call center operations, and to make essential IT expenditures—like laptops and servers.</li><li>State Public Health Division:&nbsp;&nbsp;From epidemiologists who advise LHDs to robust public information campaigns,&nbsp;our Public Health team has been overseeing the statewide response.&nbsp; These resources will help expand staffing to augment their team to give them the resources they need during this pandemic for missions like testing.</li><li>State Agency Overtime:&nbsp; This part of the package will help cover costs for overtime and additional staff to maintain healthcare coverage needs at veterans’ homes and state care facilities.&nbsp; These funds are calculated to cover a 50% spike in staffing needs to prepare for the possibility that some teammates may be temporarily unable to provide care due to quarantine requirements.</li><li>University of Nebraska Medical Center:&nbsp;Additional funding for the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) would pay for equipment and systems at UNMC.&nbsp; Some of the funds would go toward the cost of the reagents, lab personnel, and equipment needed to expand COVID-19 testing.&nbsp;</li><li>Additional Flexibility:&nbsp;&nbsp;The Legislature is also considering an additional $25 million in flexibility for the Governor’s Emergency Fund to ensure the State has the resources it needs as the scope of the pandemic unfolds.</li>
 </ol>As our response continues, we will monitor the needs of our public health teams, medical centers, labs, and care facilities to make sure they have the best possible access to resources. &nbsp;In the coming days, Nebraskans should continue to practice social distancing and stay informed about the coronavirus.&nbsp; The more action we take individually now, the more we can slow the spread of COVID-19.&nbsp; In addition to my website, you should also follow&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/Coronavirus" target="_blank">www.dhhs.ne.gov/Coronavirus</a>&nbsp;for the latest information.&nbsp; If you have questions, we have also set up a COVID-19 information line: 402-552-6645. &nbsp;It’s open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., every day of the week.&nbsp; Working together, we can make the sacrifices we need to beat COVID-19.

Gov. Ricketts: The war against the virus

By: Dave Collins, Eagle Radio Chadron Sports Director

A pair of CSC seniors are making the most of uncharted territory during the coronavirus pandemic while football practices have been scrapped and classwork is shifted to computer screens.

Quarterback Dalton Holst and receiver Cole Thurness have connected on hundreds of passes and big plays for Chadron State football during their three years together.&nbsp; Whether it's practice or game day the duo thrives on putting in the work to prepare and putting up big plays in front of other people.

With the COVID-19 pandemic shuttering spring football, which was originally to begin with the first CSC practice Monday, two of the RMAC's best offensive players are finding new ways to prepare this spring and getting a jump start on their senior seasons this fall.

From a garage in Gillette, Wyoming at the home of Thurness' father the two grind out lifting sessions with a barbell and plates, using a large plastic jug to rest the iron between sets.

"I was working out at my high school during break until it closed. I was in Chadron for the past few days and was able to workout at the PAC,' Holst says. "It has been nice enough to run outside lately but I mostly do in home workouts with push ups, lunges, abs etc. until I am able to find a permanent place to lift."

It's not an entirely new scenario for the pair.&nbsp; Thurness says he and Holst worked out together in Gillette last summer before their junior seasons.&nbsp; Cole says he had enough equipment to share with his brother this spring too, CSC long-snapper Chase Thurness who is currently in Rapid City.

Cole says, "(We're) trying to get the most out of this garage equipment until we can go back to his (Dalton's) stomping grounds at Campbell High School and use their weight room!"

When the guys get a break from strength work in the garage, they hit the field or the pavement.&nbsp;

By: Dave Collins, Eagle Radio Chadron Sports DirectorA pair of CSC seniors are making the most of uncharted territory during the coronavirus pandemic while football practices have been scrapped and classwork is shifted to computer screens.Quarterback Dalton Holst and receiver Cole Thurness have connected on hundreds of passes and big plays for Chadron State football during their three years together.&nbsp; Whether it's practice or game day the duo thrives on putting in the work to prepare and putting up big plays in front of other people.With the COVID-19 pandemic shuttering spring football, which was originally to begin with the first CSC practice Monday, two of the RMAC's best offensive players are finding new ways to prepare this spring and getting a jump start on their senior seasons this fall.From a garage in Gillette, Wyoming at the home of Thurness' father the two grind out lifting sessions with a barbell and plates, using a large plastic jug to rest the iron between sets."I was working out at my high school during break until it closed. I was in Chadron for the past few days and was able to workout at the PAC,' Holst says. "It has been nice enough to run outside lately but I mostly do in home workouts with push ups, lunges, abs etc. until I am able to find a permanent place to lift."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/3/1585062021041.jpeg" alt="Chadron State senior Cole Thurness works out in Thurness' father's garage in Gillette, WY Monday night." />
 <figcaption>Chadron State senior Cole Thurness works out in Thurness' father's garage in Gillette, WY Monday night.</figcaption>
 </figure>It's not an entirely new scenario for the pair.&nbsp; Thurness says he and Holst worked out together in Gillette last summer before their junior seasons.&nbsp; Cole says he had enough equipment to share with his brother this spring too, CSC long-snapper Chase Thurness who is currently in Rapid City.Cole says, "(We're) trying to get the most out of this garage equipment until we can go back to his (Dalton's) stomping grounds at Campbell High School and use their weight room!"When the guys get a break from strength work in the garage, they hit the field or the pavement.&nbsp;"We usually go for some runs around town and go to the football field and run some routes," Thurness added.When the RMAC and CSC officially put a halt to spring practices it was a challenging moment for athletes across the conference.&nbsp; How do we prepare? What's next? Uncertainty was abound and personal accountability has become essential to preparing for the season without traditional coaching direction.Holst and Thurness were eager to start learning the new offense on the field under recently hired offensive coordinator Micah Smith, but it'll have to wait.&nbsp;&nbsp;Holst says, "It was really tough to hear that spring football was canceled. It’s always nice to get on the field with the guys and coaches and be together for those few weeks. It is also a good opportunity to learn and practice the new offense but it will just be something we will have to do online and through film."Thurness added, "It’s definitely tough not being able to have those live practices and drills against our defense but we will still be able to learn through Hudl (video software) and having access to an online playbook."He added, "A lot of it falls onto the players on how to prepare mentally during this time so when we are able to meet in person, we are all on the same page and can hit the ground running."Student-athletes also have to learn how to navigate the new distance-learning initiatives that CSC has implemented to finish out the spring semester.After his first day of the new instruction methods Monday Holst said, "I have had some online classes before but as far as transition from face to face to online (it) will be a bit of a challenge," He continued, "So far my professors have done a great job of setting up the material and class expectations. It's different being all online though but we will all see in the next few weeks how it all plays out. It is definitely a difficult situation to navigate but we are in this together and everyone is doing the best they can to move forward."

Coronavirus Update