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  • West Holt Medical Services announces new facility guidelines

    Nov 5, 2020

    Given the recent spike in the rate of the spread of COVID-19 in both Nebraska and surrounding states, West Holt Medical Services is taking the following precautions to help ensure the safety of patients, visitors and staff: 1) The WHMH Cafeteria is closed to all patients and visitors until further notice. Only WHMS staff are allowed in the cafeteria at this time. 2) Current WHMS policy is that a mask be worn at all times. This includes staff, visitors and patients and is to be followed in all...

  • Governor announces state vaccination plan

    LuAnn Schindler, Publisher|Oct 29, 2020

    Front-line health care workers and individuals with underlying health conditions will be the first Nebraskans to receive a coronavirus vaccine, once approved. Gov. Pete Ricketts announced, during a Monday press conference, the state's vaccination plan was submitted to the federal government prior to the Oct. 16 federal deadline. "Part of the planning includes an efficient distribution network for the vaccine so as quickly as the vaccine arrives, they can get into the arms of Nebraskans," said...

  • Ricketts sets new health measures

    Oct 22, 2020

    Governor Pete Ricketss announced changes to Nebraska’s directed health measures, Friday. Hospitals, bars and restaurants, gatherings and wedding and funeral venues will adjust to the new DHMS, which went into effect, Wednesday, Oct. 21, and will remain effective through Nov. 30. “We still have the pandemic. There’s still a virus around. It’s still important you wear that mask, that you wash your hands and that you maintain six foot of distance between you and other people,” Ricketts said. The governor stressed that all steps taken to combat CO...

  • COVID cases increase in health district

    Sep 24, 2020

    North Central District Health Department was made aware, Monday, of 39 additional cases in the district: Holt, 4; Knox, 11; Cherry, 6; Antelope, 7; Pierce, 2; Brown, 8 and Boyd, 1. On Tuesday, NCDHD was been made aware of 28 additional cases in the district: Holt, 4; Knox, 10; Antelope, 8; Cherry, 1; Pierce, 3; Brown, 1 and Rock, 1. Additionally, NCDHD regrets to inform the district on notification of one death in Rock County. The office of Governor Pete Ricketts has issued an updated directed health measures to include details about...

  • New COVID-19 cases reported

    Sep 17, 2020

    North Central District Health Department has been made aware of 21 additional cases in the district, according to a Monday report. Fifteen cases in the district, through case investigations, have been determined to be due from community spread: four, Knox; one, Brown; six, Holt; one, Pierce; two, Rock and one, Cherry. Six cases in the district, through case investigations, have been determined to be due from close contacts with confirmed positive COVID-19 cases: three, Knox; one, Boyd; one, Brown and one, Pierce. Case count update, as of Sept....

  • Five new positive COVID-19 cases reported in region

    Aug 6, 2020

    North Central District Health Department has been made aware of five additional positive COVID-19 cases in the district. One case in Cherry County is currently under investigation. One case in Holt County is due to direct contact with a positive individual. All close contacts have been contacted and asked to quarantine. One case in Knox County is due to community spread and all close contacts have been identified and asked to quarantine. One case in Pierce County is due to community spread and...

  • Schools set to open August 13

    LuAnn Schindler, Publisher|Jul 16, 2020

    Summerland schools will have a normal opening, Aug. 13. Superintendent Dale Martin made the announcement Monday during the board of education's regular meeting. He distributed information about a health dial, which rates risk for COVID-19. The dial consists of green, yellow, orange and red levels. North Central District Health Department will be creating a district-specific dial, according to Martin. It will change on a week-by-week basis. Holt and Antelope counties are currently in the green....

  • New COVID-19 cases reported in health district area

    Jul 16, 2020

    North Central District Health Department reported Monday it has been made aware of six additional COVID-19 cases in the region. Four cases in Antelope County, though not all contact-related to one another, are result of direct contacts with positive cases. All direct contacts have been contacted and asked to quarantine. All cases are at home in isolation. One case in Antelope County is due to community spread, which has been present in the county. The individual is in isolation at home. All direct contacts have been contacted and asked to...

  • Nebraska businesses receive pandemic loans

    Jul 9, 2020

    NEBRASKA NEWS SERVICE The Small Business Administration, on Monday, released some details about 4,179 Nebraska businesses that took out Paycheck Protection Program loans of $150,000 or more. The Small Business Administration did not report the exact amount each business took out in loans, offering a range that the loan fell into. Only loans of $150,000 or more were reported. Of the 4,179 loans, 2,394 of them were for the lowest range, $150,000 to $350,000. Statewide, 36 businesses got loans of $5 million to $10 million. Orchard loans reported...

  • First COVID-19 death recorded in NCDHD region

    Jul 2, 2020

    North Central District Health Department reported June 24, an Antelope County resident, in his 70s, was determined to be the first COVID-related death in the region. The individual was reported to have underlying health conditions. On June 29, NCDHD reported it is receiving an increase in trends for cases and direct contacts over the last week. With the July 4 holiday approaching and guidance loosening in the state, NCDHD reminds district residents to stay healthy and safe by being mindful of the importance of social distancing, only making...

  • Red Cross tests for coronavirus antibodies

    LuAnn Schindler, Publisher|Jun 25, 2020

    When the Red Cross visits Clearwater, July 14, for a blood drive, the organization will offer testing for COVID-19 antibodies. The organization began testing all blood, platelet and plasma donations, June 15. According to a Red Cross news release, the antibody test is authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may indicate if the donor's immune system has produced antibodies to the coronavirus, regardless of whether an individual developed symptoms. "A positive antibody test does...

  • COVID-19 cases reported in Knox County

    Jun 18, 2020

    North Central District Health Department has been made aware of two additional positive COVID-19 cases in Knox County. The first case, through contact investigations, has been deemed to be from community spread. Close contacts have been identified and asked to quarantine. The second case is currently under investigation. Contacts in this case have been identified and asked to quarantine. Residents of Knox County should assume the illness is in their community, as community spread is present in the county. NCDHD reminds residents that Test...

  • COVID-19 testing planned in O'Neill

    Jun 4, 2020

    New COVID-19 cases have been recorded in the North Central District Health Department region. Monday, NCDHD was made aware of another positive case in Pierce County. On Friday, the health department was made aware of an additional positive case in Pierce County. The individual contracted the illness through direct contact with a confirmed case. Boyd County reported its first positive case on Monday. The individual is in isolation at home and through investigations, is deemed to have contracted the illness through community spread. All close con...

  • Ricketts announces new health measures

    May 28, 2020

    On May 21, Governor Pete Ricketts announced new directed health measures will take effect June 1. Phase one reopening DHMs will apply to the Central District Health Department - Hall, Hamilton and Merrick counties - and Dakota County. Phase two reopening DHMs, which are less restrictive, will apply to the rest of Nebraska. Ricketts said, "I want to thank Nebraskans who have followed our 'Six Rules to Keep Nebraska Healthy' over the past two months. By cooperating together, we've made great progr...

  • COVID-19 testing planned in O'Neill

    May 28, 2020

    North Central District Health Department, on Friday, was made aware of an additional positive case in Pierce County. The individual contracted the illness through direct contact with a confirmed case. This brings the number of cases in Pierce County to five and 26 total cases in the NCDHD region. Additional testing for Test Nebraska will take place in the area this week. One of the first testing events will be Tuesday, June 2, in Valentine. On Friday, June 5, testing will take place in O'Neill. To sign up for the Test Nebraska event, visit the...

  • The science of soap

    Elizabeth Odell|May 21, 2020

    Recently, hand washing has become a much-publicized defense against coronavirus and soap is the weapon of choice. Perhaps you can still hear your mother's voice as you walked through the kitchen door, sat down to a meal or came out of the bathroom, "Did you wash your hands?" Have you ever wondered how soap combats germs and dirt or why it works so well? Soap can be traced back to around 2800 B.C. Archeologists discovered Babylonian clay tablets inscribed with a soap recipe. The Bible records...

  • NCDHD reports eighth positive COVID-19 case in Antelope County

    May 14, 2020

    North Central District Health Department was made aware Friday of a positive case in Antelope County. The case was due to direct contact with a positive COVID-19 case. All close contacts have been identified and asked to quarantine. Yesterday, NCDHD announced two additional positive COVID-19 cases in Knox County. Through investigations, it has been determined the cases are due to community spread. This means the source of the person's exposure could not be identified through the case investigation process. Case counts for each county in the...

  • More COVID-19 cases reported in NCDHD region

    May 7, 2020

    North Central District Health Department said Sunday, it had been made aware of a positive COVID-19 case in Antelope County. NCDHD is in the process of contacting the individual using various means. At this time, the risk of exposure to the public is unknown. On Saturday, NCDHD was made aware of a positive case in Knox County. The resident contracted the illness through direct contact with a positive individual. The individual is in quarantine and all close contacts have been identified and are...

  • Holt County records first COVID-19 case

    May 7, 2020

    North Central District Health Department was made aware of the first positive COVID-19 case in Holt County, they announced Sunday evening. The individual resides in Holt County but is currently in quarantine outside of the district. The individual was exposed in a county outside of the NCDHD district and has not been in the district for one and one-half weeks prior to symptoms. All close contacts have been identified and contacted. The risk to the communities of Holt County from this positive case is none....

  • Additional COVID-19 cases noted in Antelope, Knox counties

    May 7, 2020

    North Central District Health Department announced Thursday, May 7, it was made aware of two psotive COVID-19 cases. One individual resides in Antelope County and contracted the illness due to direct exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case. The individual is currently hospitalized in isolation. Investigation determined the risk to Antelope County communities, from this individual, is low. In Knox County, the individual is in isolation in the hospital. All direct exposures are being contacted, according to NCDHD, and are asked to quarantine. An...

  • NCDHD to host testing event in Neligh, Valentine

    May 7, 2020

    North Central District Health Department will be hosting two additional mass testing events in partnership with the Nebraska National Guard. Testing will take place Tuesday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., in Neligh at the Antelope County Fairgrounds, and Wednesday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in Valentine, at the Valentine Elementary School parking lot. These events are an effort by NCDHD to offer greater testing capacity to the communities in the nine counties we serve. Testing...

  • Second positive COVID-19 case identified in Antelope County

    Apr 30, 2020

    On Saturday, April 25, North Central District Health Department reported it was made aware of a positive COVID-19 case in Antelope County. This is the second positive case in the county. NCDHD initiated contact investigations with the individual and was able to quickly determine the case is not due to community spread. It was determined the case is due to close contact with an individual who has tested positive with COVID-19 in another health department district. The individual has been in self-isolation at home since the onset of symptoms and...

  • Governer announces changes to DHMs

    Apr 30, 2020

    Ten district health department areas across the state, including North Central District Health Department, which includes Antelope and Holt counties, will have changes to restrictions on social gatherings and business operations, beginning May 4. Governor Pete Ricketts announced upcoming changes to Directed Health Measures across the state during an April 24 press conference. The current state DHMs for Douglas County will be extended through May 3. Local DHMs from the Sarpy/Cass Health Department and the Douglas County Health Department will al...

  • Ricketts announces state testing plan

    LuAnn Schindler, Publisher|Apr 30, 2020

    On April 21, Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts announced a plan for testing for COVID-19. A public-private partnership will expand testing over several weeks. Per program guidelines, residents will be able to enlist in the program to take an assessment, get tested and track health. "I am excited to roll out our Test Nebraska initiative to accelerate our ability to defeat the virus and get Nebraskans back to work," Ricketts said during a press conference. "Having good data will give us the confidence...

  • Third positive case of COVID-19 identified in Antelope County

    Apr 30, 2020

    A third case of COVID-19 has been identified in Antelope County. North Central District Health Department, in O'Neill, was made aware of a positive COVID-19 case. The individual and their family are in quarantine. The case is due to work-related travel in Dawson County, where a high incident of confirmed cases exists and community spread is present. As of noon, Thursday, April 30, 424 cases have tested positive in Dawson County; 844 individuals have been tested there. NCDHD has initiated...

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