Putting COVID-19 to the test

A team of Nebraska Air and Army National Guard members arrived in O'Neill and Bloomfield Friday. Their mission: complete critical COVID-19 testing.

North Central District Health Department assisted with the event.

According to a media release, received April 16, NCDHD stressed testing events were not due to a large number of COVID-19 cases in the district.

"Nebraska National Guard has been in contact with local health departments ... to set up these testing events to gain a clearer picture of the presence of COVID-19 in our state," NCDHD officials wrote in the release.

Approximately 100 persons in continued public exposure settings, primarily healthcare and law enforcement personnel, were asked to participate.

Carol Doolittle, NCDHD prevention coordinator, said testing provided a "snapshot in time."

"This doesn't mean that community members did not already have COVID-19. Further, these patrons could get COVID-19 in the future. Because of all the hard work and diligence community members are exercising with social distancing practices and following the directed health measures, zero confirmed COVID-19 results were reported from the testing event," NCDHD officials noted.

Currently, an uptick in positive cases in neighboring district communities in areas such as Norfolk, Dakota City and Grand Island are noted. NCDHD encourages district community members to continue to practice social distancing, follow directed health measures, shop local, wear face coverings in public, remain with your nuclear family so the curve will continue to flatten.