Changes to the way COVID data are presented on the Panhandle Public Health District website are on the way.
According to a press release issued by COVID-19 Unified Command on Monday listed several changes to the dashboard located at www.pphd.org. One of the changes noted is in the way the Panhandle is divided. Currently, data for the Panhandle are divided into two categories: Scotts Bluff County and the Greater Panhandle.
The coming change will subdivide the Greater Panhandle category into the Northern and Southern Panhandle, with Scotts Bluff County remaining its own category.
The Northern Panhandle category will consist of Box Butte, Dawes, Sheridan and Sioux Counties, and the Southern Panhandle category will be comprised of Banner, Cheyenne, Deuel, Garden, Grant, Kimball and Morrill Counties.
“Additionally, the sidebar will provide data on cases the previous week to be more in alignment with the CDC COVID tracker community transmission rate, and case rate per 100,000 for the previous seven days,” the press release stated.’
The press release also announced Scotts Bluff County reaching a 40 percent vaccination rate.
“Every increase in the vaccination rate remains critical to traversing the Fall COVID wave and protecting area hospital systems,” said Panhandle Public Health District Director Kim Engel. “I urge residents age 12 and older from around the area to exercise their right and decision to get vaccinated today.”
An additional 242 cases of COVID were reported since Sept. 7, with 106 cases in Scotts Bluff County and 136 cases throughout the rest of the Panhandle. Since March 2, 2020, the Panhandle has seen 10,471 positive COVID cases, with 200 of those cases resulting in death. As of press time, there were a total of nine deaths pending verification.
The vaccine is available for residents of Box Butte and Grant Counties at Dave’s Pharmacy in Alliance and Hemingford Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The Pfizer vaccine is available only from 2 to 5:30 p.m. The vaccine is also available at Alliance Community Pharmacy Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Walk-ins are welcome at both locations.