By PPHD
Kate Tyner, BSN, RN, CIC with Nebraska Infection Control Assessment and Promotion Program (ICAP) joined the Monday, May 24 Panhandle briefing to provide additional understanding and recommendations for fully vaccinated people.
“People that have received their COVID vaccine are similar to wearing a fireproof suit,” Tyner explained. “For those that have their fireproof suit, it’s become a lot safer to go to restaurants, bars, and public places. For anyone that hasn’t gotten vaccinated, they still have the risk of getting COVID.”
While people are trying to embrace moving forward, the vaccine is a huge part of safely returning to normalcy.
Things are starting to look a lot safer for people that are vaccinated but there are still certain restrictions in healthcare settings and through Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for nursing homes for the safety of patients, residents, and elders living in congregant living settings. This is due to people in these settings being in closer proximity to one another and at higher rates of living with chronic health conditions. COVID remains a risk through an unvaccinated person bringing it in.
“We hope that as community cases continue to go down and vaccination rates continue to go up, the federal requirements from CMS will continue to loosen,” Tyner concluded.
Governor Ricketts announced today the ending of the Governor’s Directed Health Measure effective at 11:59pm. Throughout the Panhandle, the same processes for contact tracing, quarantine, and isolation will continue as it remains needed to stop the spread of COVID.
Pfizer is available in the Panhandle and anyone 12 and older can get vaccinated! There is no charge for the vaccine.
- Box Butte/Grant: https://tinyurl.com/25mwaapu | safeway.com
- Walk-ins welcome Dave's Pharmacy Hemingford & Alliance, Monday-Friday
- Moderna or Johnson & Johnson 8a-5:30p | Pfizer 2p-5:30p
- Alliance Community Pharmacy, Monday-Friday
- Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson 7:30a-6p
- Cheyenne/Deuel: https://tinyurl.com/5b5uac8p | walmart.com | safeway.com
- Dawes/Sioux: https://tinyurl.com/x5d5nnbn | walmart.com | safeway.com
- Walk-ins welcome Western Community Health Resources, Monday-Friday, 12:30p-1:30p
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson
- Garden: sign up at vaccinate.ne.gov - provider will call you
- Walk-ins welcome Regional West Garden County Clinic Front Desk, Monday-Friday, 8a-5p
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson
- Kimball: https://tinyurl.com/d2u8txrs
- Walk-ins welcome Kimball Health Sevices, Monday-Friday, 8a-4:30p
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson
- Morrill: https://tinyurl.com/sb8mvumm
- Walk-ins welcome Morrill County Hospital Clinic, Wednesdays, 8a-4p
- Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson
- Sheridan: https://tinyurl.com/cvrmkv38
- Scotts Bluff/Banner: https://tinyurl.com/w6b84fkf | walmart.com | safeway.com | walgreens.com
- Walk-ins welcome Click on https://tinyurl.com/w6b84fkf to see availability.
People who are fully COVID vaccinated will not be required to quarantine due to close contact. If you have lost your COVID vaccine card, go to https://tinyurl.com/2zh7uhhu.
Unified Command confirms 38 more cases of COVID in the Panhandle since last reporting on Monday, May 17. The investigations are underway, all close contacts will be quarantined.
March 2, 2020-May 24, 2021
Total Tests Conducted: 38,926
Positive: 9,101
Last 14 days (active) cases: 57
Last week’s cases: 39
Last week’s positivity rate: 9.5%
Deaths: 196
Active Hospitalizations: 2
Total Cumulative Hospitalizations: 550
Doubling time (November 15, 2020 – May 24, 2021): 190 days
Current COVID testing access can be found at www.pphd.org.