LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Three more staff members with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said.

Two are employed at the Nebraska State Penitentiary and one is employed at the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center, the agency said in a news release Saturday. People who live and work at those facilities will be notified.

All three staff members are self-isolating at home.

The latest cases bring to 170 the number of correctional department employees who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The department said 126 of them have recovered.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Three more staff members with the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services have tested positive for COVID-19, officials said.Two are employed at the Nebraska State Penitentiary and one is employed at the Diagnostic and Evaluation Center, the agency said in a news release Saturday. People who live and work at those facilities will be notified.All three staff members are self-isolating at home.The latest cases bring to 170 the number of correctional department employees who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. The department said 126 of them have recovered.

Officials: 3 more Nebraska correctional staff get COVID-19

By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-10-08/clues-from-the-blood-of-kansans-suggest-the-coronavirus-pandemic-could-stick-around-for-a-long-time">Kansas News Service</a>

Perhaps two in every 50 Kansans have <a href="https://www.livescience.com/antibodies.html" target="_blank">antibodies</a> swimming in their bloodstream that show they’ve had COVID-19.

That relatively low number — based on the assumption that <a href="https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html" target="_blank">blood donors</a>
 reflect the broader population — suggests a gloomy reality. Kansas is 
still in the early days of this pandemic and it's looking at a future 
likely to bring many more cases than it has so far seen.

“Absolutely,”
 said Roger Shapiro, an immunologist at Harvard University’s School of 
Public Health. “When you look at these figures, you realize how far we 
are from herd immunity.”

The overwhelming number of Kansans, perhaps more than 95%, haven’t yet experienced the virus that has killed more than <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality" target="_blank">200,000 Americans</a>.

So
 medical pros say the only thing to do is sit tight, keep your masks on 
and stay away from other people, until we have a vaccine.

“This
 is not the time to play a guessing game of, ‘Do I have the flu or do I 
have COVID?’” said Gigi Gronvall, an immunologist at Johns Hopkins’ 
Center for Health Security.

Many people still can’t get fast 
coronavirus tests that would let them isolate in time to stop the 
disease from spreading further, and hospitals remain at risk of getting 
overwhelmed by coronavirus and flu cases this fall.

The
 human body produces antibodies when exposed to a disease, to fend it 
off. And those microscopic defenders can stick around after recovery.

So the American Red Cross screens blood donations for antibodies against <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2</a>, the virus behind COVID-19. It then sends <a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=160&amp;ContentID=37" target="_blank">plasma</a>
 with the specialized proteins to hospitals treating coronavirus 
patients, and it reports how often it detects the antibodies to state 
health agencies trying to piece together the bigger picture.

Nationally, the <a href="https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html" target="_blank">Red Cross</a> has tested about 1.2 million blood donations for the antibodies.

From
 mid-June to mid-September, it found them in about 2% of donations 
nationally. The same was true for Kansas donors. It’s not known how well
 that statistic might reflect the broader population.

Weekly 
tallies suggest the number of people carrying the antibodies has ticked 
upward in Kansas, as elsewhere. In recent weeks, the Red Cross reported 
antibodies in 4% to 5% of Kansas donations.

Could someone with 
antibodies catch the virus again a year from now and get seriously sick?
 How about two years from now? Or could they catch it, not show any 
symptoms, and spread the virus anyway? Scientists can’t yet say.

“This
 is not a get-out-of-jail-free card,” Gronvall said. If a test shows you
 have antibodies, she said, you should still wear a mask and follow 
social distancing rules.

Recent reports of a few patients catching the novel coronavirus <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/08/28/covid-19-reinfection-implications/" target="_blank">more than once</a>
 in a relatively short time may not signal what to expect for most 
people, but leave open the possibility that one infection doesn’t 
protect you against another.

The Red Cross reported in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2770771" target="_blank">a medical journal</a>
 last month that blood donations from people of color test positive for 
the antibodies at a higher rate than blood from white donors.

That matches <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/expert-answers/coronavirus-infection-by-race/faq-20488802" target="_blank">other research</a>
 that shows communities of color bearing the brunt of the pandemic. It 
likely reflects broader social and economic disparities, such as lower 
incomes and a greater likelihood of working high-risk jobs that involve 
in-person contact with many customers or colleagues in a single day.

The virus spread fast in crowded Kansas <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">meatpacking plants</a>, for example, that rely heavily on the labor of people of color in southwest Kansas.

Some
 studies and modeling point to higher antibody rates nationally and 
globally than the Red Cross has seen among blood donors, but still don’t
 offer good news.

“The (World Health Organization) just came out with an estimate that maybe <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/10-worlds-people-infected-virus-73427817" target="_blank">up to 10%</a>
 of the world has been infected,” Shapiro said. “But even at that 
number, we’re still so far from achieving herd immunity. … We really 
need to create immunity with a vaccine.”

Vaccines <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/conversations/downloads/vacsafe-understand-color-office.pdf" target="_blank">mimic natural infections</a>. They kick a person’s immune system into gear so that it churns out antibodies and stores viral information in <a href="https://askabiologist.asu.edu/memory-b-cell" target="_blank">memory cells</a>
 that could defend us even after those antibodies fade. (Researchers 
have found SARS-CoV-2 antibodies triggered by natural infection two or 
even three months after infection, and say it varies from person to 
person.)

Ongoing coronavirus vaccine trials aim to check how 
protective these immune responses will prove long-term, and whether 
people will need booster shots over time to keep their defenses up.

Part
 of the benefit from vaccines will ultimately come from the sheer number
 of people who would gain some level of protection at once.

“As we
 get to high enough vaccine levels, the herd immunity will actually just
 lower the amount of virus that’s circulating,” Shapiro said. “There 
will be just less virus around. This is our hope.”

The Red Cross’ free antibody tests serve three functions.

They
 gather the information that helps public health experts studying the 
virus’ spread, and they allow the Red Cross to flag plasma with 
antibodies for hospitals.

Scientists <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/513405-science-inconclusive-on-use-of-convalescent-plasma-in-covid-19-patients" target="_blank">still can’t say</a> whether the donated plasma works for treating COVID-19. A separate, <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/provocative-results-boost-hopes-antibody-treatment-covid-19" target="_blank">lab-based approach</a>, may prove more effective.

But either way, donations remain as critical as ever to the nation’s blood supply.

And that’s a third reason for offering antibody tests. They attract people to <a href="https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html" target="_blank">keep donating</a> amid the pandemic.

The
 Red Cross uses respected tests, and when a blood sample proves positive
 for antibodies, it double-checks with a second, high-quality process.

For
 people who had respiratory symptoms in recent months — but couldn’t get
 checked for COVID-19 because of the nationwide shortage of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/testing-overview.html" target="_blank">viral tests</a> — that may satisfy their curiosity.

And
 that could help keep donations flowing as the pandemic hampers 
traditional blood drives, such as a major annual effort that would have 
attracted thousands of donors next week.

“The biggest blood
 drive the Red Cross does across the country is at the University of 
Missouri in Columbia,” said Joe Zydlo, a regional communications manager
 in St. Louis. “And that has been canceled.”

Meanwhile, Gronvall 
advises against buying an antibody test somewhere. After all, the 
information won’t help you medically, she said, and many products are 
unreliable anyway.

“There’s just been so many bad tests out there,” she said. “Right now I would not spend money on it.”

Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Celia_LJ" target="_blank">@celia_LJ</a> or email her at celia@kcur.org.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602251360190.png" alt=" Photo illustration by Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service" />
 <figcaption> Photo illustration by Celia Llopis-Jepsen / Kansas News Service</figcaption>
 </figure>By CELIA LLOPIS-JEPSEN <a href="https://www.kcur.org/news/2020-10-08/clues-from-the-blood-of-kansans-suggest-the-coronavirus-pandemic-could-stick-around-for-a-long-time">Kansas News Service</a>Perhaps two in every 50 Kansans have <a href="https://www.livescience.com/antibodies.html" target="_blank">antibodies</a> swimming in their bloodstream that show they’ve had COVID-19.That relatively low number — based on the assumption that <a href="https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html" target="_blank">blood donors</a>
 reflect the broader population — suggests a gloomy reality. Kansas is 
still in the early days of this pandemic and it's looking at a future 
likely to bring many more cases than it has so far seen.“Absolutely,”
 said Roger Shapiro, an immunologist at Harvard University’s School of 
Public Health. “When you look at these figures, you realize how far we 
are from herd immunity.”The overwhelming number of Kansans, perhaps more than 95%, haven’t yet experienced the virus that has killed more than <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality" target="_blank">200,000 Americans</a>.So
 medical pros say the only thing to do is sit tight, keep your masks on 
and stay away from other people, until we have a vaccine.That, and get a flu shot.“This
 is not the time to play a guessing game of, ‘Do I have the flu or do I 
have COVID?’” said Gigi Gronvall, an immunologist at Johns Hopkins’ 
Center for Health Security.Many people still can’t get fast 
coronavirus tests that would let them isolate in time to stop the 
disease from spreading further, and hospitals remain at risk of getting 
overwhelmed by coronavirus and flu cases this fall.<h2>Clues in the blood</h2>The
 human body produces antibodies when exposed to a disease, to fend it 
off. And those microscopic defenders can stick around after recovery.So the American Red Cross screens blood donations for antibodies against <a href="https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/technical-guidance/naming-the-coronavirus-disease-(covid-2019)-and-the-virus-that-causes-it" target="_blank">SARS-CoV-2</a>, the virus behind COVID-19. It then sends <a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=160&amp;ContentID=37" target="_blank">plasma</a>
 with the specialized proteins to hospitals treating coronavirus 
patients, and it reports how often it detects the antibodies to state 
health agencies trying to piece together the bigger picture.Nationally, the <a href="https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html" target="_blank">Red Cross</a> has tested about 1.2 million blood donations for the antibodies.From
 mid-June to mid-September, it found them in about 2% of donations 
nationally. The same was true for Kansas donors. It’s not known how well
 that statistic might reflect the broader population.Weekly 
tallies suggest the number of people carrying the antibodies has ticked 
upward in Kansas, as elsewhere. In recent weeks, the Red Cross reported 
antibodies in 4% to 5% of Kansas donations.Could someone with 
antibodies catch the virus again a year from now and get seriously sick?
 How about two years from now? Or could they catch it, not show any 
symptoms, and spread the virus anyway? Scientists can’t yet say.“This
 is not a get-out-of-jail-free card,” Gronvall said. If a test shows you
 have antibodies, she said, you should still wear a mask and follow 
social distancing rules.Recent reports of a few patients catching the novel coronavirus <a href="https://www.statnews.com/2020/08/28/covid-19-reinfection-implications/" target="_blank">more than once</a>
 in a relatively short time may not signal what to expect for most 
people, but leave open the possibility that one infection doesn’t 
protect you against another.<h2>Greater risk</h2>The Red Cross reported in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2770771" target="_blank">a medical journal</a>
 last month that blood donations from people of color test positive for 
the antibodies at a higher rate than blood from white donors.That matches <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/expert-answers/coronavirus-infection-by-race/faq-20488802" target="_blank">other research</a>
 that shows communities of color bearing the brunt of the pandemic. It 
likely reflects broader social and economic disparities, such as lower 
incomes and a greater likelihood of working high-risk jobs that involve 
in-person contact with many customers or colleagues in a single day.The virus spread fast in crowded Kansas <a href="https://www.hppr.org/post/emails-show-kansas-agencies-helped-keep-meatpacking-plants-open-despite-concerns-about" target="_blank">meatpacking plants</a>, for example, that rely heavily on the labor of people of color in southwest Kansas.<h2>The need for a vaccine</h2>Some
 studies and modeling point to higher antibody rates nationally and 
globally than the Red Cross has seen among blood donors, but still don’t
 offer good news.“The (World Health Organization) just came out with an estimate that maybe <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/10-worlds-people-infected-virus-73427817" target="_blank">up to 10%</a>
 of the world has been infected,” Shapiro said. “But even at that 
number, we’re still so far from achieving herd immunity. … We really 
need to create immunity with a vaccine.”Vaccines <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/conversations/downloads/vacsafe-understand-color-office.pdf" target="_blank">mimic natural infections</a>. They kick a person’s immune system into gear so that it churns out antibodies and stores viral information in <a href="https://askabiologist.asu.edu/memory-b-cell" target="_blank">memory cells</a>
 that could defend us even after those antibodies fade. (Researchers 
have found SARS-CoV-2 antibodies triggered by natural infection two or 
even three months after infection, and say it varies from person to 
person.)Ongoing coronavirus vaccine trials aim to check how 
protective these immune responses will prove long-term, and whether 
people will need booster shots over time to keep their defenses up.Part
 of the benefit from vaccines will ultimately come from the sheer number
 of people who would gain some level of protection at once.“As we
 get to high enough vaccine levels, the herd immunity will actually just
 lower the amount of virus that’s circulating,” Shapiro said. “There 
will be just less virus around. This is our hope.”<h2>Should you get an antibody test?</h2>The Red Cross’ free antibody tests serve three functions.They
 gather the information that helps public health experts studying the 
virus’ spread, and they allow the Red Cross to flag plasma with 
antibodies for hospitals.Scientists <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/513405-science-inconclusive-on-use-of-convalescent-plasma-in-covid-19-patients" target="_blank">still can’t say</a> whether the donated plasma works for treating COVID-19. A separate, <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/09/provocative-results-boost-hopes-antibody-treatment-covid-19" target="_blank">lab-based approach</a>, may prove more effective.But either way, donations remain as critical as ever to the nation’s blood supply.And that’s a third reason for offering antibody tests. They attract people to <a href="https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html" target="_blank">keep donating</a> amid the pandemic.The
 Red Cross uses respected tests, and when a blood sample proves positive
 for antibodies, it double-checks with a second, high-quality process.For
 people who had respiratory symptoms in recent months — but couldn’t get
 checked for COVID-19 because of the nationwide shortage of <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/testing-overview.html" target="_blank">viral tests</a> — that may satisfy their curiosity.And
 that could help keep donations flowing as the pandemic hampers 
traditional blood drives, such as a major annual effort that would have 
attracted thousands of donors next week.“The biggest blood
 drive the Red Cross does across the country is at the University of 
Missouri in Columbia,” said Joe Zydlo, a regional communications manager
 in St. Louis. “And that has been canceled.”Meanwhile, Gronvall 
advises against buying an antibody test somewhere. After all, the 
information won’t help you medically, she said, and many products are 
unreliable anyway.“There’s just been so many bad tests out there,” she said. “Right now I would not spend money on it.”Celia Llopis-Jepsen reports on consumer health and education for the Kansas News Service. You can follow her on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Celia_LJ" target="_blank">@celia_LJ</a> or email her at celia@kcur.org.

Antibody tests show 'we’re still so far from achieving herd immunity'

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-The West Central District Health Department (WCDHD) says a continued surge in COVID-19 cases in their jurisdiction has prompted a rise on the Community Risk Dial.


The risk dial moved from a 2.12 up to a 2.35 this week, which remains
within the elevated (Orange) risk level. There were changes in the following
variables that contributed to the movement in the dial:

WCDHD says the community's partnership and collaboration in
identifying close contacts is significant in mitigating the spread of
COVID-19, bringing our community to a lower risk of spread. 


The risk dial will be updated every
Thursday after the information is reviewed by the Public Health
Command Center. Dial updates are posted <a href="https://wcdhd.org/what-we-do/health-services/emergency-preparedness/coronavirus/risk-dial.html">HERE</a> and the WCDHD <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wcdhd/">Facebook </a>page.

For COVID-19 case number updates within
the West Central District Health Department Jurisdiction, check the
<a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/sydney.keller5172#!/vizhome/WestCentralDistrictHealthDepartmentCOVID-19Dashboard/CaseInformation">WCDHD Dashboard</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602207360800.png" alt="As of October 8, 2020" />
 <figcaption>As of October 8, 2020</figcaption>
 </figure>NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-The West Central District Health Department (WCDHD) says a continued surge in COVID-19 cases in their jurisdiction has prompted a rise on the Community Risk Dial.
The risk dial moved from a 2.12 up to a 2.35 this week, which remains
within the elevated (Orange) risk level. There were changes in the following
variables that contributed to the movement in the dial:We had an increase in the following:<ul>
 <li>Measure ID R1: Positivity Rate
	(Weekly)
	</li><li>Measure ID R2: Trajectory of Cases
	</li><li>Measure ID R4: Average Daily
	Hospitalization
	</li><li>Measure ID R12: Medical &amp;
	Surgical Beds
</li>
 </ul>WCDHD says the community's partnership and collaboration in
identifying close contacts is significant in mitigating the spread of
COVID-19, bringing our community to a lower risk of spread. 
The risk dial will be updated every
Thursday after the information is reviewed by the Public Health
Command Center. Dial updates are posted <a href="https://wcdhd.org/what-we-do/health-services/emergency-preparedness/coronavirus/risk-dial.html">HERE</a> and the WCDHD <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wcdhd/">Facebook </a>page.For COVID-19 case number updates within
the West Central District Health Department Jurisdiction, check the
<a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/sydney.keller5172#!/vizhome/WestCentralDistrictHealthDepartmentCOVID-19Dashboard/CaseInformation">WCDHD Dashboard</a>.

WCDHD raises Community Risk Dial amid 'surge' in COVID cases

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-One of North Platte's popular restaurants announced Wednesday that they will close temporarily due to a possible COVID-19 exposure.

In a post on their Facebook page management at Merrick's said that after reviewing CDC guidelines they determined it was in the best interest of their guests and employees to close.

At this time, the restaurant is expected to be open again on Tuesday, October 13.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602121383680.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-One of North Platte's popular restaurants announced Wednesday that they will close temporarily due to a possible COVID-19 exposure.In a post on their Facebook page management at Merrick's said that after reviewing CDC guidelines they determined it was in the best interest of their guests and employees to close.At this time, the restaurant is expected to be open again on Tuesday, October 13.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fnorthplattemerricks%2Fposts%2F1752541041561179&show_text=true&width=552&height=187&appId" width="552" height="187" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></div>

Merrick's closes temporarily due to possible COVID exposure

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.&nbsp;(GPH)–&nbsp;Great Plains Health is working with local long term care facilities to address the increased number of patients testing positive for COVID-19.&nbsp; The challenge for facilities is to maintain isolation for a large number of residents, staff adequately and receive timely results of testing. This weekend a flare up in one of North Platte’s facilities resulted in patients being placed at Great Plains Health, Gothenburg Health and Ogallala Community Hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Meeting the needs of our patients and community is our highest priority,” said Mel McNea Great Plains Health chief executive officer. “We are continually evaluating our capacity to ensure that we maintain the safest environment for patients and staff.&nbsp; Great Plains Health is working with area care facilities and hospitals to ensure the organization has the capacity to treat those needing critical care,” said McNea.

Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are at an all-time high across the state with that number continuing to rise. Hospitalizations surpassed the previous high set in May of 232 and now sits at 262. Currently, Great Plains Health has 13 patients hospitalized due to complications associated with COVID-19.

"The most important things we can do for all of us and for our community, are to wear masks when out in public settings, maintain social distancing, wash our hands thoroughly and often and stay home when we are sick,” said McNea. These are the things that will stop the spread of this virus."

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.&nbsp;(GPH)–&nbsp;Great Plains Health is working with local long term care facilities to address the increased number of patients testing positive for COVID-19.&nbsp; The challenge for facilities is to maintain isolation for a large number of residents, staff adequately and receive timely results of testing. This weekend a flare up in one of North Platte’s facilities resulted in patients being placed at Great Plains Health, Gothenburg Health and Ogallala Community Hospital.&nbsp;&nbsp;“Meeting the needs of our patients and community is our highest priority,” said Mel McNea Great Plains Health chief executive officer. “We are continually evaluating our capacity to ensure that we maintain the safest environment for patients and staff.&nbsp; Great Plains Health is working with area care facilities and hospitals to ensure the organization has the capacity to treat those needing critical care,” said McNea.Hospitalizations due to COVID-19 are at an all-time high across the state with that number continuing to rise. Hospitalizations surpassed the previous high set in May of 232 and now sits at 262. Currently, Great Plains Health has 13 patients hospitalized due to complications associated with COVID-19."The most important things we can do for all of us and for our community, are to wear masks when out in public settings, maintain social distancing, wash our hands thoroughly and often and stay home when we are sick,” said McNea. These are the things that will stop the spread of this virus."

Great Plains Health coordinates with local care facilities as COVID-19 cases rise in the region

The North Platte Community College music department will offer its jazz and choir concerts in a virtual format next week.

The jazz band performance will be livestreamed at 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/" target="_blank">npccknights.com</a>. The choir concert will begin at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 16 at the same link.

“Our theme this year is jazz and blues, and it will prove to be quite fun,” said Kristin Simpson, music instructor. “Viewers should be prepared to tap their toes and hum along to classics from the 1950s on up. That includes the fun and goofy children’s song, ‘I Bought Me a Cat,’ adapted by well-known American composer Aaron Copland. The 1970s song, ‘Free Bird,’ will get heads bobbing.”

The jazz band will also perform selections such as: “How’s the Weather” and “Tastes Like Chicken.” It will be directed by jazz coach Jennifer Winder.

The choir performance will include additional songs, “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Yesterday” and “The Rhythm of Life.” The choir will be directed by Simpson and accompanied by Winder.

Don Kurre, adjunct instructor, will perform with the jazz band on bass guitar, EMS/CPR coordinator Alex McConnell will sing alto for the choir and Kristi Leibhart, English instructor, will show off her skills on trap set.

Leibhart will be a guest soloist for the choir as well. Community member Rob Martinson II will also serve as a guest soloist for the choir on string bass.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1602092721248.png" alt="Jordan Leal, of North Platte, practices ahead of a virtual choir concert that will be hosted by NPCC’s music department." />
 <figcaption>Jordan Leal, of North Platte, practices ahead of a virtual choir concert that will be hosted by NPCC’s music department.</figcaption>
 </figure>The North Platte Community College music department will offer its jazz and choir concerts in a virtual format next week.The jazz band performance will be livestreamed at 2 p.m. Oct. 15 at&nbsp;<a href="https://npccknights.com/" target="_blank">npccknights.com</a>. The choir concert will begin at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 16 at the same link.“Our theme this year is jazz and blues, and it will prove to be quite fun,” said Kristin Simpson, music instructor. “Viewers should be prepared to tap their toes and hum along to classics from the 1950s on up. That includes the fun and goofy children’s song, ‘I Bought Me a Cat,’ adapted by well-known American composer Aaron Copland. The 1970s song, ‘Free Bird,’ will get heads bobbing.”The jazz band will also perform selections such as: “How’s the Weather” and “Tastes Like Chicken.” It will be directed by jazz coach Jennifer Winder.The choir performance will include additional songs, “Fly Me to the Moon,” “Yesterday” and “The Rhythm of Life.” The choir will be directed by Simpson and accompanied by Winder.The following students will be featured:<ul>
 <li>Cody – Grace Ford</li><li>Cozad – Desaray Schwarz</li><li>Fairbury – Dylan Rogge</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Gothenburg – Austin Macek</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Grant – Christopher Terry</li><li>Indianola – Trenton Emmons</li><li>Maxwell – Brandon Montgomery</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>Norfolk – Teagan Kennel</li>
 </ul><ul>
 <li>North Platte – Thomas Bartling, Joseph Frailey, Jordan Leal, Lisa Pickett, Ashtyn Winder</li>
 </ul>Don Kurre, adjunct instructor, will perform with the jazz band on bass guitar, EMS/CPR coordinator Alex McConnell will sing alto for the choir and Kristi Leibhart, English instructor, will show off her skills on trap set.Leibhart will be a guest soloist for the choir as well. Community member Rob Martinson II will also serve as a guest soloist for the choir on string bass.

NPCC plans virtual concerts

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - More state corrections employees have tested positive for the coronavirus as the number of cases in the state prison system continues to grow.

An employee at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln and another at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York have tested positive for COVID-19, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said in news releases this week. Both are self-isolating at home, and the department said it will notify those who live and work in the facilities of the new cases. Anyone who may have had close contact with the staff members are being directed to self-quarantine until cleared by a medical provider, the department said.

With the new cases, a total of 162 state prisons workers have now tested positive for the virus. The agency says on its website that at least 231 inmates had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday. One inmate at the Nebraska State Penitentiary has died.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - More state corrections employees have tested positive for the coronavirus as the number of cases in the state prison system continues to grow.An employee at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in Lincoln and another at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women in York have tested positive for COVID-19, the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services said in news releases this week. Both are self-isolating at home, and the department said it will notify those who live and work in the facilities of the new cases. Anyone who may have had close contact with the staff members are being directed to self-quarantine until cleared by a medical provider, the department said.With the new cases, a total of 162 state prisons workers have now tested positive for the virus. The agency says on its website that at least 231 inmates had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Friday. One inmate at the Nebraska State Penitentiary has died.

More Nebraska prison staffers test positive for coronavirus

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise across Nebraska, a North Platte assisted living facility reports that four of their residents passed away from COVID-related deaths.

Officials at Centennial Park Retirement Village say the facility experienced an outbreak that resulted in eight members of their staff and 37 residents testing positive for COVID-19.

In a news release, officials confirmed that four residents passed away with complications from the virus.

Officials say residents who tested positive are currently in quarantine and all staff members are self-quarantining.

Staff members and management at Centennial Park Retirement Village are working closely with local health officials and are adhering to all of their recommendations.&nbsp;

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise across Nebraska, a North Platte assisted living facility reports that four of their residents passed away from COVID-related deaths.Officials at Centennial Park Retirement Village say the facility experienced an outbreak that resulted in eight members of their staff and 37 residents testing positive for COVID-19.In a news release, officials confirmed that four residents passed away with complications from the virus.Officials say residents who tested positive are currently in quarantine and all staff members are self-quarantining.Staff members and management at Centennial Park Retirement Village are working closely with local health officials and are adhering to all of their recommendations.&nbsp;

4 COVID-related deaths reported at North Platte assisted living facility

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A group of infectious disease experts is urging Nebraskans to remain vigilant about social distancing as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the state continue to rise.

Six scientists and physicians from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and its hospital partner, Nebraska Medicine, said the state is entering a dangerous period this fall as coronavirus cases increase, cooler weather drives more activities indoors and influenza season approaches. And Nebraska officials have eliminated most restrictions related to the coronavirus in favor of voluntary guidelines.

"We're at record numbers and going up, so we know we need to do more in terms of restricting those opportunities that allow the virus to spread," said Dr. James Lawler.

The doctors urged Nebraskans to wear masks, avoid large gatherings of people, stay home if they are sick and try to maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others when in public,&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/livewellnebraska/unmc-experts-warn-nebraskans-of-potential-perfect-storm-as-coronavirus-cases-rise/article_dd1d840a-af90-57ec-a8b5-e131475b5074.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the Omaha World-Herald. Local rules require masks in Omaha and Lincoln but there is no statewide mask mandate in Nebraska.

The state reported 452 new cases of coronavirus and two new deaths Monday, bringing to 48,259 cases of COVID-19 and 503 deaths since the pandemic began.

The number of people hospitalized with the virus grew to a new record of 271 - well above the spring peak of 232 set on May 27.

Nebraska's rate of infection ranked 11th-highest among states, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Nebraska has risen over the past two weeks from 12.58% on Sept. 21 to 13.1% on Monday.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska has also increased over the past two weeks from 392.57 new cases per day on Sept. 21 to 534.86 new cases per day on Monday.

Nebraska officials said that even with the recent rise in cases roughly 30% of the state's intensive care beds and 79% of the ventilators remain available.

Gov. Pete Ricketts has said that officials are working with hospitals statewide to make sure they aren't overwhelmed with virus cases. He says the hospital statistics show the state's medical facilities still have capacity to treat more patients.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - A group of infectious disease experts is urging Nebraskans to remain vigilant about social distancing as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the state continue to rise.Six scientists and physicians from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha and its hospital partner, Nebraska Medicine, said the state is entering a dangerous period this fall as coronavirus cases increase, cooler weather drives more activities indoors and influenza season approaches. And Nebraska officials have eliminated most restrictions related to the coronavirus in favor of voluntary guidelines."We're at record numbers and going up, so we know we need to do more in terms of restricting those opportunities that allow the virus to spread," said Dr. James Lawler.The doctors urged Nebraskans to wear masks, avoid large gatherings of people, stay home if they are sick and try to maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others when in public,&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/livewellnebraska/unmc-experts-warn-nebraskans-of-potential-perfect-storm-as-coronavirus-cases-rise/article_dd1d840a-af90-57ec-a8b5-e131475b5074.html#tracking-source=home-top-story" target="_blank">according</a>&nbsp;to the Omaha World-Herald. Local rules require masks in Omaha and Lincoln but there is no statewide mask mandate in Nebraska.The state reported 452 new cases of coronavirus and two new deaths Monday, bringing to 48,259 cases of COVID-19 and 503 deaths since the pandemic began.The number of people hospitalized with the virus grew to a new record of 271 - well above the spring peak of 232 set on May 27.Nebraska's rate of infection ranked 11th-highest among states, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Nebraska has risen over the past two weeks from 12.58% on Sept. 21 to 13.1% on Monday.The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska has also increased over the past two weeks from 392.57 new cases per day on Sept. 21 to 534.86 new cases per day on Monday.Nebraska officials said that even with the recent rise in cases roughly 30% of the state's intensive care beds and 79% of the ventilators remain available.Gov. Pete Ricketts has said that officials are working with hospitals statewide to make sure they aren't overwhelmed with virus cases. He says the hospital statistics show the state's medical facilities still have capacity to treat more patients.

Doctors urge Nebraskans to take virus precautions seriously

NEW YORK (AP) —The top U.S. public health agency said Monday that the coronavirus can spread more than 6 feet through the air, especially in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces. But agency officials maintained that such spread is uncommon and current social distancing guidelines still make sense.

However, several experts faulted the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. They said the virus can spread more easily than the CDC seems to be indicating, and suggested that the public should wear masks even in prolonged outdoor gatherings when they are more than 6 feet apart.

The virus “is traveling through the air and there is no bright line. You’re not safe beyond 6 feet. You can’t take your mask off at 6 feet,” said Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

For months, the CDC has said that the virus spreads mainly through small airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Most CDC guidance about social distancing is built around that idea, saying that 6 feet is a safe buffer between people who are not wearing masks.

In interviews, CDC officials have also acknowledged growing evidence that the virus can sometimes spread on even smaller particles called aerosols that spread over a wider area.

In the update posted on its website, the agency again acknowledged recent research showing people with COVID-19 infected others who were more than 6 feet away or shortly after an infected person left an area. CDC officials called those ”limited, uncommon circumstances.”

In those cases, spread occurred in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces where people were doing activities that caused heavier breathing, like singing or exercise, CDC officials said.

People can protect themselves by staying at least 6 feet away from others, wearing a mask, washing their hands, cleaning touched surfaces and staying home when sick

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-public-health-cfb43dd5a28dd449cd1100a067cfd112">Last month,</a>&nbsp;the CDC ignited controversy among experts when it quietly posted an update that seemed to suggest the agency’s position had changed, and then within days took it down again.

The short-lived post said the virus can remain suspended in the air and drift more than 6 feet, and officials emphasized the importance of indoor ventilation. It also added singing and breathing to the ways the virus can go airborne.

Federal health officials later said the post was a mistake and that it had been released before full editing and clearance was completed. They said there was no major change in the agency’s position, but they would finalize a post to clarify the CDC’s thinking. That’s what was posted Monday.

A small group of researchers — including Milton — on Monday published a letter in the journal Science that called for clearer public health guidance about how coronavirus spreads in the air.

They said health officials need to use clearer language in talking about the size of airborne particles and droplets that can spread the disease, and be more straightforward about the role that viruses in small aerosols can play in infecting people.

Masks and good ventilation are crucial indoors. But they can be important outdoors too, said Linsey Marr of Virginia Tech.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1600453488360.png" alt="CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during testimony before a congressional committee in August -Image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield during testimony before a congressional committee in August -Image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) —The top U.S. public health agency said Monday that the coronavirus can spread more than 6 feet through the air, especially in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces. But agency officials maintained that such spread is uncommon and current social distancing guidelines still make sense.However, several experts faulted the updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. They said the virus can spread more easily than the CDC seems to be indicating, and suggested that the public should wear masks even in prolonged outdoor gatherings when they are more than 6 feet apart.The virus “is traveling through the air and there is no bright line. You’re not safe beyond 6 feet. You can’t take your mask off at 6 feet,” said Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health.For months, the CDC has said that the virus spreads mainly through small airborne droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Most CDC guidance about social distancing is built around that idea, saying that 6 feet is a safe buffer between people who are not wearing masks.In interviews, CDC officials have also acknowledged growing evidence that the virus can sometimes spread on even smaller particles called aerosols that spread over a wider area.In the update posted on its website, the agency again acknowledged recent research showing people with COVID-19 infected others who were more than 6 feet away or shortly after an infected person left an area. CDC officials called those ”limited, uncommon circumstances.”In those cases, spread occurred in poorly ventilated and enclosed spaces where people were doing activities that caused heavier breathing, like singing or exercise, CDC officials said.People can protect themselves by staying at least 6 feet away from others, wearing a mask, washing their hands, cleaning touched surfaces and staying home when sick<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-public-health-cfb43dd5a28dd449cd1100a067cfd112">Last month,</a>&nbsp;the CDC ignited controversy among experts when it quietly posted an update that seemed to suggest the agency’s position had changed, and then within days took it down again.The short-lived post said the virus can remain suspended in the air and drift more than 6 feet, and officials emphasized the importance of indoor ventilation. It also added singing and breathing to the ways the virus can go airborne.Federal health officials later said the post was a mistake and that it had been released before full editing and clearance was completed. They said there was no major change in the agency’s position, but they would finalize a post to clarify the CDC’s thinking. That’s what was posted Monday.A small group of researchers — including Milton — on Monday published a letter in the journal Science that called for clearer public health guidance about how coronavirus spreads in the air.They said health officials need to use clearer language in talking about the size of airborne particles and droplets that can spread the disease, and be more straightforward about the role that viruses in small aerosols can play in infecting people.Masks and good ventilation are crucial indoors. But they can be important outdoors too, said Linsey Marr of Virginia Tech.___

CDC updates guidelines on how coronavirus spreads

Scientists and physicians from UNMC and Nebraska Medicine provide advice to the community in light of an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Nebraska.

Scientists and physicians from UNMC and Nebraska Medicine provide advice to the community in light of an increase in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Nebraska.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FNebraskaMed%2Fvideos%2F802001537239267%2F&show_text=false&width=560" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>

UNMC/Nebraska Medicine experts give advice as virus cases rise

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus has topped 500 in Nebraska, and more people are hospitalized with the virus than ever before.

The state reported four new deaths and 404 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday to give Nebraska 501 deaths and 47,807 cases of the virus since the pandemic began.

The number of hospitalizations for the virus jumped to 249 on Saturday and remained at that level on Sunday. Previously, the number of people being treated in Nebraska hospitals peaked at 232 on May 27, according to the state's&nbsp;<a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ece0db09da4d4ca68252c3967aa1e9dd" target="_blank">online virus tracker.</a>

But even with the high number of hospitalizations, Nebraska said 33% of the state's intensive care beds and 78% of the ventilators remained available.

Last month, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-ricketts-lincoln-virus-outbreak-archive-nebraska-e280640ba95931e6020e21a974b11396" target="_blank">eliminated</a>&nbsp;nearly all of the state's social-distancing restrictions in favor of voluntary guidelines. Ricketts has said the hospital statistics show the state's medical facilities have not been overwhelmed with virus cases.

On Monday, Ricketts said his administration was working daily with hospitals throughout Nebraska to ensure that they don't fill beyond their capacity. But he said he doesn't foresee and big changes to the state's approach to the pandemic.

"We're always willing to make adjustments to our plans based upon conditions," he said. "Right now, we're continuing to manage it."

Nebraska continues to report a high rate of virus cases. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Nebraska has risen over the past two weeks from 11.86% on Sept. 20 to 13.49% on Sunday, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus has topped 500 in Nebraska, and more people are hospitalized with the virus than ever before.The state reported four new deaths and 404 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday to give Nebraska 501 deaths and 47,807 cases of the virus since the pandemic began.The number of hospitalizations for the virus jumped to 249 on Saturday and remained at that level on Sunday. Previously, the number of people being treated in Nebraska hospitals peaked at 232 on May 27, according to the state's&nbsp;<a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ece0db09da4d4ca68252c3967aa1e9dd" target="_blank">online virus tracker.</a>But even with the high number of hospitalizations, Nebraska said 33% of the state's intensive care beds and 78% of the ventilators remained available.Last month, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-ricketts-lincoln-virus-outbreak-archive-nebraska-e280640ba95931e6020e21a974b11396" target="_blank">eliminated</a>&nbsp;nearly all of the state's social-distancing restrictions in favor of voluntary guidelines. Ricketts has said the hospital statistics show the state's medical facilities have not been overwhelmed with virus cases.On Monday, Ricketts said his administration was working daily with hospitals throughout Nebraska to ensure that they don't fill beyond their capacity. But he said he doesn't foresee and big changes to the state's approach to the pandemic."We're always willing to make adjustments to our plans based upon conditions," he said. "Right now, we're continuing to manage it."Nebraska continues to report a high rate of virus cases. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Nebraska has risen over the past two weeks from 11.86% on Sept. 20 to 13.49% on Sunday, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.

Nebraska virus hospitalizations hit new high over weekend

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The number of deaths linked to the coronavirus has topped 500 in Nebraska, and more people are hospitalized with the virus than ever before.The state reported four new deaths and 404 new cases of coronavirus on Sunday to give Nebraska 501 deaths and 47,807 cases of the virus since the pandemic began.The number of hospitalizations for the virus jumped to 249 on Saturday and remained at that level on Sunday. Previously, the number of people being treated in Nebraska hospitals peaked at 232 on May 27, according to the state's&nbsp;<a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ece0db09da4d4ca68252c3967aa1e9dd" target="_blank">online virus tracker.</a>But even with the high number of hospitalizations, Nebraska said 33% of the state's intensive care beds and 78% of the ventilators remained available.Last month, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-ricketts-lincoln-virus-outbreak-archive-nebraska-e280640ba95931e6020e21a974b11396" target="_blank">eliminated</a>&nbsp;nearly all of the state's social-distancing restrictions in favor of voluntary guidelines. Ricketts has said the hospital statistics show the state's medical facilities have not been overwhelmed with virus cases.Nebraska continues to report a high rate of virus cases. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Nebraska has risen over the past two weeks from 11.86% on Sept. 20 to 13.49% on Sunday, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska is seeing a sharp jump in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the state's online tracking portal.

State officials reported 621 new cases on Thursday evening, up from 520 the previous day. The number of daily cases is up from where it was in September and this summer. So far, 493 peopled have died from the virus.

Nebraska has confirmed 46,185 cases since the pandemic began, out of 464,576 people who have been tested. The hardest-hit counties continue to be Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy, the state's most populated areas.

The state portal shows that 29% of Nebraska's hospital beds are available for virus patients, as are 26% of the intensive care units and 78% of the ventilators.

The increase comes weeks after Nebraska&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-ricketts-lincoln-virus-outbreak-archive-nebraska-e280640ba95931e6020e21a974b11396" target="_blank">ended nearly all of its social-distancing restrictions</a>&nbsp;in favor of voluntary guidelines. Gov. Pete Ricketts has said the decision was based on the availability of hospital beds and ventilators, in keeping with his goal of not overwhelming medical facilities.

The change doesn't include Lincoln and surrounding Lancaster County.

Restrictions are still in effect for large indoor gatherings, such as concerts, meeting halls and theaters.

For most people,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/understanding-the-outbreak" target="_blank">COVID-19</a>, the disease caused by the coronavirus, causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illnesses.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska is seeing a sharp jump in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases, according to the state's online tracking portal.State officials reported 621 new cases on Thursday evening, up from 520 the previous day. The number of daily cases is up from where it was in September and this summer. So far, 493 peopled have died from the virus.Nebraska has confirmed 46,185 cases since the pandemic began, out of 464,576 people who have been tested. The hardest-hit counties continue to be Douglas, Lancaster and Sarpy, the state's most populated areas.The state portal shows that 29% of Nebraska's hospital beds are available for virus patients, as are 26% of the intensive care units and 78% of the ventilators.The increase comes weeks after Nebraska&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pete-ricketts-lincoln-virus-outbreak-archive-nebraska-e280640ba95931e6020e21a974b11396" target="_blank">ended nearly all of its social-distancing restrictions</a>&nbsp;in favor of voluntary guidelines. Gov. Pete Ricketts has said the decision was based on the availability of hospital beds and ventilators, in keeping with his goal of not overwhelming medical facilities.The change doesn't include Lincoln and surrounding Lancaster County.Restrictions are still in effect for large indoor gatherings, such as concerts, meeting halls and theaters.For most people,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/understanding-the-outbreak" target="_blank">COVID-19</a>, the disease caused by the coronavirus, causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illnesses.

Nebraska sees sharp jump in new daily coronavirus cases

NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-The COVID-19 Community Risk Dial moved from a 2.0 up to a 2.12 this week, according to the West Central District Health Department, which remains
within the elevated risk level. 

Officials say there were changes in the following
variables that contributed to the movement in the dial:

We had decreases in the following
(please reference the WCDHD risk dial website page for additional
information):

WCDHD says Your partnership and collaboration in
identifying close contacts is significant in mitigating the spread of
COVID-19, bringing our community to a lower risk of spread. 


The risk dial will be updated every
Thursday after the information is reviewed by the Public Health
Command Center. Dial updates are posted <a href="https://wcdhd.org/what-we-do/health-services/emergency-preparedness/coronavirus/risk-dial.html">HERE</a>,
the WCDHD Facebook page, as well as the <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/sydney.keller5172#!/vizhome/shared/JXDHSGQTF">Dashboard</a>.

For COVID-19 case number updates within
the West Central District Health Department Jurisdiction, check the
WCDHD <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/sydney.keller5172#!/vizhome/shared/JXDHSGQTF">Dashboard</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/10/1601605428403.png" alt="As of October 1, 2020 (WCDHD)" />
 <figcaption>As of October 1, 2020 (WCDHD)</figcaption>
 </figure>NORTH PLATTE, Neb.-The COVID-19 Community Risk Dial moved from a 2.0 up to a 2.12 this week, according to the West Central District Health Department, which remains
within the elevated risk level. Officials say there were changes in the following
variables that contributed to the movement in the dial:We had decreases in the following
(please reference the WCDHD risk dial website page for additional
information):<ol>
 <li>Measure ID R6: Ventilator
	Availability
	</li><li>Measure ID R11: Individuals
	Affected
</li>
 </ol>We had an increase in the following:<ol>
 <li>Measure ID R1: Positivity Rate
	(Weekly)
	</li><li>Measure ID R2: Trajectory of Cases
	</li><li>Measure ID R7: Community Spread
</li>
 </ol>WCDHD says Your partnership and collaboration in
identifying close contacts is significant in mitigating the spread of
COVID-19, bringing our community to a lower risk of spread. 
The risk dial will be updated every
Thursday after the information is reviewed by the Public Health
Command Center. Dial updates are posted <a href="https://wcdhd.org/what-we-do/health-services/emergency-preparedness/coronavirus/risk-dial.html">HERE</a>,
the WCDHD Facebook page, as well as the <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/sydney.keller5172#!/vizhome/shared/JXDHSGQTF">Dashboard</a>.For COVID-19 case number updates within
the West Central District Health Department Jurisdiction, check the
WCDHD <a href="https://public.tableau.com/profile/sydney.keller5172#!/vizhome/shared/JXDHSGQTF">Dashboard</a>.

WCDHD officials move Community Risk Dial up, risk remains elevated

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 remains elevated as Nebraska continues to report hundreds of new cases each day, but the number of hospitalizations is still below the peak set in the spring.

The state's&nbsp;<a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ece0db09da4d4ca68252c3967aa1e9dd" target="_blank">online virus tracker</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday showed 215 people were hospitalized. Nebraska reported 466 new cases and six new deaths to give the state 45,044 cases and 478 deaths.

The number of people being treated in Nebraska hospitals remains below the peak of 232 set on May 27, but the number approached that when it hit 231 last Thursday. Hospitalizations were at their lowest in July when 95 people were being treated.

But the state said Wednesday that 27% of the intensive care beds and 78% of the ventilators in Nebraska remained available.

Nebraska continues to report a high rate of new cases. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Nebraska has risen over the past two weeks from 9.4% on Sept. 15 to 13.01% on Tuesday, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska has risen from 381 new cases per day on Sept. 15 to 455.71 new cases per day on Tuesday.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 remains elevated as Nebraska continues to report hundreds of new cases each day, but the number of hospitalizations is still below the peak set in the spring.The state's&nbsp;<a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ece0db09da4d4ca68252c3967aa1e9dd" target="_blank">online virus tracker</a>&nbsp;on Wednesday showed 215 people were hospitalized. Nebraska reported 466 new cases and six new deaths to give the state 45,044 cases and 478 deaths.The number of people being treated in Nebraska hospitals remains below the peak of 232 set on May 27, but the number approached that when it hit 231 last Thursday. Hospitalizations were at their lowest in July when 95 people were being treated.But the state said Wednesday that 27% of the intensive care beds and 78% of the ventilators in Nebraska remained available.Nebraska continues to report a high rate of new cases. The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Nebraska has risen over the past two weeks from 9.4% on Sept. 15 to 13.01% on Tuesday, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University.The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska has risen from 381 new cases per day on Sept. 15 to 455.71 new cases per day on Tuesday.

Nebraska virus hospitalizations at high level as cases rise

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska reported 901 new coronavirus cases and two new deaths linked to COVID-19 over the weekend.

The state's&nbsp;<a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ece0db09da4d4ca68252c3967aa1e9dd" target="_blank">online virus tracker</a>&nbsp;on Monday showed 44,063 in Nebraska have tested positive since the outbreak began, including 467 new cases on Sunday and 434 new cases on Saturday.

A total of 470 deaths have been linked to the coronavirus in Nebraska.

The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska has risen over the past two weeks from 329 new cases per day on Sept. 13 to 399.86 new cases per day on Sunday, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 tracking project.

The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Nebraska has also risen from 9.65% on Sept. 13 to 12.86% on Sunday.

Despite those increases, the state said 36% of the Nebraska's hospital beds, 34% of intensive care beds and 80% of the state's ventilators remain available. A total of 224 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday.

For some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Nebraska reported 901 new coronavirus cases and two new deaths linked to COVID-19 over the weekend.The state's&nbsp;<a href="https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/ece0db09da4d4ca68252c3967aa1e9dd" target="_blank">online virus tracker</a>&nbsp;on Monday showed 44,063 in Nebraska have tested positive since the outbreak began, including 467 new cases on Sunday and 434 new cases on Saturday.A total of 470 deaths have been linked to the coronavirus in Nebraska.The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Nebraska has risen over the past two weeks from 329 new cases per day on Sept. 13 to 399.86 new cases per day on Sunday, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University's COVID-19 tracking project.The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate in Nebraska has also risen from 9.65% on Sept. 13 to 12.86% on Sunday.Despite those increases, the state said 36% of the Nebraska's hospital beds, 34% of intensive care beds and 80% of the state's ventilators remain available. A total of 224 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday.For some people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks.

Nebraska reports 901 new virus cases, 2 deaths over weekend

NEW YORK (AP) — At a University of Maryland lab, people infected with the new coronavirus take turns sitting in a chair and putting their faces into the big end of a large cone. They recite the alphabet and sing or just sit quietly for a half hour. Sometimes they cough.

The cone sucks up everything that comes out of their mouths and noses. It’s part of a device called “Gesundheit II” that is helping scientists study a big question: Just how does the virus that causes COVID-19 spread from one person to another?

It clearly hitchhikes on small liquid particles sprayed out by an infected person. People expel particles while coughing, sneezing, singing, shouting, talking and even breathing. But the drops come in a wide range of sizes, and scientists are trying to pin down how risky the various kinds are.

The answer affects what we should all be doing to avoid getting sick. That’s why it was thrust into headlines a few days ago when a U.S. health agency appeared to have shifted its position on the issue, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-public-health-cfb43dd5a28dd449cd1100a067cfd112">later said</a>&nbsp;it had published new language in error.

The recommendation to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart — some authorities cite about half that distance — is based on the idea that larger particles fall to the ground before they can travel very far. They are like the droplets in a spritz of a window cleaner, and they can infect somebody by landing on their nose, mouth or eyes, or maybe being inhaled.

But some scientists are now focusing on tinier particles, the ones that spread more like cigarette smoke. Those are carried by wisps of air and even upward drafts caused by the warmth of our bodies. They can linger in the air for minutes to hours, spreading throughout a room and build up if ventilation is poor.

The potential risk comes from inhaling them. Measles can spread this way, but the new coronavirus is far less contagious than that.

For these particles, called aerosols, “6 feet is not a magic distance,” says Linsey Marr, a leading researcher who is studying them at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. But she says it’s still important to keep one’s distance from others, “the farther the better,” because aerosols are most concentrated near a source and pose a bigger risk at close range.

Public health agencies have generally focused on the larger particles for coronavirus. That prompted more than 200 other scientists to publish a&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798" target="_blank">plea</a>&nbsp;in July to pay attention to the potential risk from aerosols. The World Health Organization, which had long dismissed a danger from aerosols except in the case of certain medical procedures, later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that aerosol transmission of the coronavirus can’t be ruled out in cases of infection within crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.

The issue drew attention recently when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted and then deleted statements on its website that highlighted the idea of aerosol spread. The agency said the posting was an error, and that the statements were just a draft of proposed changes to its recommendations.

Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious disease, told The Associated Press that the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission.

Last month Butler told a scientific meeting that current research suggests aerosol spreading of the coronavirus is possible but it doesn’t seem to be the main way that people get infected. Further research may change that conclusion, he added, and he urged scientists to study how often aerosol spread of the coronavirus occurs, what situations make it more likely and what reasonable steps might prevent it.

Marr said she thinks infection by aerosols is “happening a lot more than people initially were willing to think.”

As a key piece of evidence, Marr and others point to so-called “superspreader” events where one infected person evidently passed the virus to many others in a single setting.

In March, for example, after a choir member with coronavirus symptoms attended a rehearsal in Washington state, 52 others who had been seated throughout the room were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.20132027v2" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;to be infected and two died. In a crowded and poorly ventilated restaurant in China in January, the virus evidently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20067728v1" target="_blank">spread&nbsp;</a>from a lunchtime patron to five people at two adjoining tables in a pattern suggesting aerosols were spread by the air conditioner. Also in January, a passenger on a Chinese bus apparently&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2770172" target="_blank">infected</a>&nbsp;23 others, many of whom were scattered around the vehicle.

Butler said such events raise concern about aerosol spread but don’t prove it happens.

There could be another way for tiny particles to spread. They may not necessarily come directly from somebody’s mouth or nose, says William Ristenpart of the University of California, Davis. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17888-w" target="_blank">research&nbsp;</a>found that if paper tissues are seeded with influenza virus and then crumpled, they give off particles that bear the virus. So people emptying a wastebasket with tissues discarded by somebody with COVID-19 should be sure to wear a mask, he said.

Scientists who warn about aerosols say current recommendations still make sense.

Wearing a mask is still important, and make sure it fits snugly. Keep washing those hands diligently. And again, staying farther apart is better than being closer together. Avoid crowds, especially indoors.

Their main addition to recommendations is ventilation to avoid a buildup of aerosol concentration. So, the researchers say, stay out of poorly ventilated rooms. Open windows and doors. One can also use air-purifying devices or virus-inactivating ultraviolet light.

Best of all: Just do as much as you can outdoors, where dilution and the sun’s ultraviolet light work in your favor.

“We know outdoors is the most spectacularly effective measure, by far,” says Jose-Luis Jimenez of the University of Colorado-Boulder. “Outdoors it is not impossible to get infected, but it is difficult.”

The various precautions should be used in combination rather than just one at a time, researchers say. In a well ventilated environment, “6 feet (of separation) is pretty good if everybody’s got a mask on” and nobody stays directly downwind of an infected person for very long, says Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health, whose lab houses the Gesundheit II machine.

Duration of exposure is important, so there’s probably not much risk from a short elevator ride while masked or being passed by a jogger on the sidewalk, experts say.

Scientists have&nbsp;<a href="https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/online-tool-calculates-risk-classroom-transmission-airborne-covid-19" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;online&nbsp;<a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/news/covid-19-airborne-transmission-tool-available" target="_blank">tools</a>&nbsp;for calculating risk of airborne spread in various settings.

At a recent meeting on aerosols, however, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, noted that preventive steps can be a challenge in the real world. Keeping apart from other people can be difficult in homes that house multiple generations. Some old buildings have windows that were “nailed shut years ago,” he said. And “we have far too many communities where they simply don’t have access to clean water to wash their hands.”

It might seem strange that for all the scientific frenzy to study the new coronavirus, the details of how it spreads can still be in doubt nine months later. But history suggests patience.

“We’ve been studying influenza for 102 years,” says Milton, referring to the 1918 flu epidemic. “We still don’t know how it’s transmitted and what the role of aerosols is.”

NEW YORK (AP) — At a University of Maryland lab, people infected with the new coronavirus take turns sitting in a chair and putting their faces into the big end of a large cone. They recite the alphabet and sing or just sit quietly for a half hour. Sometimes they cough.The cone sucks up everything that comes out of their mouths and noses. It’s part of a device called “Gesundheit II” that is helping scientists study a big question: Just how does the virus that causes COVID-19 spread from one person to another?It clearly hitchhikes on small liquid particles sprayed out by an infected person. People expel particles while coughing, sneezing, singing, shouting, talking and even breathing. But the drops come in a wide range of sizes, and scientists are trying to pin down how risky the various kinds are.The answer affects what we should all be doing to avoid getting sick. That’s why it was thrust into headlines a few days ago when a U.S. health agency appeared to have shifted its position on the issue, but&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/virus-outbreak-archive-public-health-cfb43dd5a28dd449cd1100a067cfd112">later said</a>&nbsp;it had published new language in error.The recommendation to stay at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart — some authorities cite about half that distance — is based on the idea that larger particles fall to the ground before they can travel very far. They are like the droplets in a spritz of a window cleaner, and they can infect somebody by landing on their nose, mouth or eyes, or maybe being inhaled.But some scientists are now focusing on tinier particles, the ones that spread more like cigarette smoke. Those are carried by wisps of air and even upward drafts caused by the warmth of our bodies. They can linger in the air for minutes to hours, spreading throughout a room and build up if ventilation is poor.The potential risk comes from inhaling them. Measles can spread this way, but the new coronavirus is far less contagious than that.For these particles, called aerosols, “6 feet is not a magic distance,” says Linsey Marr, a leading researcher who is studying them at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. But she says it’s still important to keep one’s distance from others, “the farther the better,” because aerosols are most concentrated near a source and pose a bigger risk at close range.Public health agencies have generally focused on the larger particles for coronavirus. That prompted more than 200 other scientists to publish a&nbsp;<a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaa939/5867798" target="_blank">plea</a>&nbsp;in July to pay attention to the potential risk from aerosols. The World Health Organization, which had long dismissed a danger from aerosols except in the case of certain medical procedures, later&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-how-is-covid-19-transmitted" target="_blank">said</a>&nbsp;that aerosol transmission of the coronavirus can’t be ruled out in cases of infection within crowded and poorly ventilated indoor spaces.The issue drew attention recently when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted and then deleted statements on its website that highlighted the idea of aerosol spread. The agency said the posting was an error, and that the statements were just a draft of proposed changes to its recommendations.Dr. Jay Butler, CDC’s deputy director for infectious disease, told The Associated Press that the agency continues to believe larger and heavier droplets that come from coughing or sneezing are the primary means of transmission.Last month Butler told a scientific meeting that current research suggests aerosol spreading of the coronavirus is possible but it doesn’t seem to be the main way that people get infected. Further research may change that conclusion, he added, and he urged scientists to study how often aerosol spread of the coronavirus occurs, what situations make it more likely and what reasonable steps might prevent it.Marr said she thinks infection by aerosols is “happening a lot more than people initially were willing to think.”As a key piece of evidence, Marr and others point to so-called “superspreader” events where one infected person evidently passed the virus to many others in a single setting.In March, for example, after a choir member with coronavirus symptoms attended a rehearsal in Washington state, 52 others who had been seated throughout the room were&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.15.20132027v2" target="_blank">found</a>&nbsp;to be infected and two died. In a crowded and poorly ventilated restaurant in China in January, the virus evidently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.16.20067728v1" target="_blank">spread&nbsp;</a>from a lunchtime patron to five people at two adjoining tables in a pattern suggesting aerosols were spread by the air conditioner. Also in January, a passenger on a Chinese bus apparently&nbsp;<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2770172" target="_blank">infected</a>&nbsp;23 others, many of whom were scattered around the vehicle.Butler said such events raise concern about aerosol spread but don’t prove it happens.There could be another way for tiny particles to spread. They may not necessarily come directly from somebody’s mouth or nose, says William Ristenpart of the University of California, Davis. His&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-17888-w" target="_blank">research&nbsp;</a>found that if paper tissues are seeded with influenza virus and then crumpled, they give off particles that bear the virus. So people emptying a wastebasket with tissues discarded by somebody with COVID-19 should be sure to wear a mask, he said.Scientists who warn about aerosols say current recommendations still make sense.Wearing a mask is still important, and make sure it fits snugly. Keep washing those hands diligently. And again, staying farther apart is better than being closer together. Avoid crowds, especially indoors.Their main addition to recommendations is ventilation to avoid a buildup of aerosol concentration. So, the researchers say, stay out of poorly ventilated rooms. Open windows and doors. One can also use air-purifying devices or virus-inactivating ultraviolet light.Best of all: Just do as much as you can outdoors, where dilution and the sun’s ultraviolet light work in your favor.“We know outdoors is the most spectacularly effective measure, by far,” says Jose-Luis Jimenez of the University of Colorado-Boulder. “Outdoors it is not impossible to get infected, but it is difficult.”The various precautions should be used in combination rather than just one at a time, researchers say. In a well ventilated environment, “6 feet (of separation) is pretty good if everybody’s got a mask on” and nobody stays directly downwind of an infected person for very long, says Dr. Donald Milton of the University of Maryland School of Public Health, whose lab houses the Gesundheit II machine.Duration of exposure is important, so there’s probably not much risk from a short elevator ride while masked or being passed by a jogger on the sidewalk, experts say.Scientists have&nbsp;<a href="https://nicholas.duke.edu/news/online-tool-calculates-risk-classroom-transmission-airborne-covid-19" target="_blank">published</a>&nbsp;online&nbsp;<a href="https://cires.colorado.edu/news/covid-19-airborne-transmission-tool-available" target="_blank">tools</a>&nbsp;for calculating risk of airborne spread in various settings.At a recent meeting on aerosols, however, Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, noted that preventive steps can be a challenge in the real world. Keeping apart from other people can be difficult in homes that house multiple generations. Some old buildings have windows that were “nailed shut years ago,” he said. And “we have far too many communities where they simply don’t have access to clean water to wash their hands.”It might seem strange that for all the scientific frenzy to study the new coronavirus, the details of how it spreads can still be in doubt nine months later. But history suggests patience.“We’ve been studying influenza for 102 years,” says Milton, referring to the 1918 flu epidemic. “We still don’t know how it’s transmitted and what the role of aerosols is.”___

Tiny airborne particles may pose a big coronavirus problem

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WCDHD reports 8 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — It began with devastation in the New York City area, followed by a summertime crisis in the Sun Belt. Now the coronavirus outbreak is heating up fast in smaller cities in the heartland, often in conservative corners of America where anti-mask sentiment runs high.

Elsewhere around the country, Florida’s Republican governor lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses Friday and all but set aside local mask ordinances in the political battleground state, in a move attacked by Democrats as hasty.

Meanwhile, confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. hit another milestone — 7 million — according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number of infections is believed to be much higher.

The spike across the Midwest as well as parts of the West has set off alarms at hospitals, schools and colleges.

Wisconsin is averaging more than 2,000 new cases a day over the last week, compared with 675 three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations in the state are at their highest level since the outbreak took hold in the U.S. in March.

Utah has seen its average daily case count more than double from three weeks earlier. Oklahoma and Missouri are regularly recording 1,000 new cases a day, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch opponent of mask rules, tested positive this week. Kansas and Iowa are also witnessing a spike in cases. And South Dakota and Idaho are seeing sky-high rates of tests coming back positive.

“What we’re seeing is the newer hot spots rise over the course of the last several weeks, predominantly in the Upper Midwest,” said Thomas Tsai, a professor at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.

The U.S. is averaging more than 40,000 new confirmed cases a day. While that number is dramatically lower than the peak of nearly 70,000 over the summer, the numbers are worrisome nonetheless. The nation’s death toll eclipsed 200,000 this week, the highest in the world.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1599689971178.png" alt="Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman listens to questions during his press conference Wednesday" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Department of Health Secretary Dr. Lee Norman listens to questions during his press conference Wednesday</figcaption>
 </figure>MISSION, Kan. (AP) — It began with devastation in the New York City area, followed by a summertime crisis in the Sun Belt. Now the coronavirus outbreak is heating up fast in smaller cities in the heartland, often in conservative corners of America where anti-mask sentiment runs high.Elsewhere around the country, Florida’s Republican governor lifted all restrictions on restaurants and other businesses Friday and all but set aside local mask ordinances in the political battleground state, in a move attacked by Democrats as hasty.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/9/1601054548620.png" alt="Friday Sept. 25, 2020 KDHE image" />
 <figcaption>Friday Sept. 25, 2020 KDHE image</figcaption>
 </figure>Meanwhile, confirmed cases of the virus in the U.S. hit another milestone — 7 million — according to the count kept by Johns Hopkins University, though the real number of infections is believed to be much higher.The spike across the Midwest as well as parts of the West has set off alarms at hospitals, schools and colleges.Wisconsin is averaging more than 2,000 new cases a day over the last week, compared with 675 three weeks earlier. Hospitalizations in the state are at their highest level since the outbreak took hold in the U.S. in March.Utah has seen its average daily case count more than double from three weeks earlier. Oklahoma and Missouri are regularly recording 1,000 new cases a day, and Missouri Gov. Mike Parson, a staunch opponent of mask rules, tested positive this week. Kansas and Iowa are also witnessing a spike in cases. And South Dakota and Idaho are seeing sky-high rates of tests coming back positive.“What we’re seeing is the newer hot spots rise over the course of the last several weeks, predominantly in the Upper Midwest,” said Thomas Tsai, a professor at Harvard’s Chan School of Public Health.The U.S. is averaging more than 40,000 new confirmed cases a day. While that number is dramatically lower than the peak of nearly 70,000 over the summer, the numbers are worrisome nonetheless. The nation’s death toll eclipsed 200,000 this week, the highest in the world.In the Midwest, the virus is now landing squarely in places where there is strong resistance to masks and governors have been reluctant to require face coverings.In Springfield, Missouri, hospitals are starting to fill up with COVID-19 patients and the city has seen a big spike in deaths over the past month.Amelia Montgomery, a nurse working in the COVID unit at Cox South Hospital in Springfield, describes a maddening routine where family members of sick patients call up medical staff on the phone on a daily basis and question whether their loved ones truly have the virus and and the veracity of positive test results.“We know what COVID looks like now after six months of dealing with it,” Montgomery said. “It is like beating your head against a brick wall when you are constantly having patients, family members of these patients and the community argue so intensely that it is not real or we are treating it in the wrong way.”The skepticism about the virus coincides with deep frustration over mask requirements in the Midwestern cities that actually have them.Mike Cooper, a 59-year-old and sign shop owner from the Branson, Missouri, area, is among those who have grown weary of virus restrictions that he sees as out-of-control government overreach. He has no doubts about the seriousness of the virus, but says the financial toll of business and school shutdowns creates its own set of health problems, such as alcoholism, suicide and depression. “Financial ruin kills people too,” he said.“To me, flatten the curve means extend the plague. Flatten the curve means you are just going to kill the same number of people over a longer period of time, so they are going to extend the plague,” Cooper said.In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis, a major ally of President Donald Trump, gave businesses the OK to reopen, declaring, “We’re not closing anything going forward.”The governor, who has resisted making mask-wearing mandatory statewide, also said he will stop cities and counties from collecting fines from people who don’t cover their faces, virtually nullifying local mask ordinances.Florida was a major hot spot over the summer, and the death toll there stands at nearly 14,000. Deaths are running at over 100 a day, and newly confirmed infections at about 2,700 a day.Like Trump, DeSantis has questioned the effectiveness of closing down businesses, arguing that states that more aggressively shut down, including California, have fared no better.“The state of Florida is probably the most open big state in the country,” he boasted Friday.Florida Democrats have bemoaned the governor’s push to reopen.“No one is advocating for a full-scale lockdown in Florida. But we have been and continue to ask for common-sense prevention measures such as face masks, which are essential to preventing further spread,” state Sen. Audrey Gibson said Thursday.In other developments:— Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced he and his wife have tested positive, though he said he has no symptoms. Northam, a Democrat who is also a doctor and usually wears a mask in public, has been criticized by Republicans who say his restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the virus are too stringent.— Two former administrators of a Massachusetts veterans home where nearly 80 people died were charged with neglect over their handling of the outbreak. They could go to prison if convicted. It is believed to be the nation’s first criminal case brought against nursing home officials for actions during the crisis.— In New York City, which beat back the virus after a disastrous spring, four Orthodox Jewish schools were closed for violating social-distancing rules. Health officials said if virus cases in these neighborhoods continue to build, the city might roll back the reopening in some places and require businesses to close back down.Mask and social distancing rules are starting to cause fatigue in some areas of the Midwest and West.In Joplin, Missouri, a mask ordinance was allowed to expire in mid-August as virus fatigue grew. Since then, the number of positive cases there and in surrounding Jasper County — a deeply conservative county that Trump won by more than 50 percentage points over Hillary Clinton in 2016 — has risen about 80%.“I am getting sick and tired of telling people to wear their masks, and I know they are sick and tired of me saying it,” said Tony Moehr, chief of the Jasper County Health Department. “And it just seems like people have heard it so many times, I’m not sure if they really even hear it anymore when we say it.”At the home of the University of Oklahoma, the Norman City Council voted 5-3 this week to require that masks be worn indoors at house parties if more than 25 people are present. The ordinance passed over objections from members of the public.“You can make any law that you want to. You come into my house telling me that I got to wear this stupid thing and you’re going to have a firefight on your hands,” said Josh Danforth, holding a mask, who identified himself as an Iraq war veteran.

Coronavirus Update