As the community begins the reopening process, the number of COVID-19 cases in the Panhandle has risen to 141 as of press time.
Scotts Bluff County plays host to the highest number of cases at 105: 58 are active cases, and 47 have recovered. Morrill County has 11 cases, of which only one is active, the rest have recovered. Kimball and Cheyenne Counties both have 10 cases each, with only one of those cases in Cheyenne County being active. Box Butte and Garden Counties have seen two cases each. In Box Butte County, only one case is active. Dawes County has seen only one case to date, which has recovered.
This week, drive-thru testing is being offered in several Panhandle communities. Testing will begin on Wednesday in Chadron at the Dawes County Fairground and run from 8 a.m. to noon. On Thursday, drive-thru testing is set to take place at the Alliance Fire Department from 8 a.m. to noon. At Panhandle Public Health District in Scottsbluff on Saturday, testing is set to take place from 8 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. On Saturday, people in Oshkosh will be able to be tested at the City Maintenance Building from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Testing will wrap up in Sidney at the old Wheatbelt Building on Sunday, with spots available from 8 a.m. to noon.
According to a press release from COVID-19 Unified Command, people are requested to complete an assessment at www.testnebraska.com to determine who will be selected for testing. People who do not have access to a computer are asked to call 308-262-5764 for assistance.
“Increased COVID-19 testing is an important piece to finding the virus and keeping people, families and communities safe from disease spread,” the release stated.
People may also be tested if they speak with their primary care providers, who can order testing if a COVID-19 infection is suspected.