There are no new cases of COVID-19 in Box Butte County, but other counties in the Panhandle are seeing increases in their case numbers, bringing the total number of cases to 86 in the Panhandle as of press time.
On May 12, members of the COVID-19 Unified Command announced a woman in her teens tested positive for coronavirus in Scotts Bluff County. Three recoveries in Scotts Bluff County were also announced.
Two new cases, one in Scotts Bluff County and another in Morrill County, were confirmed on May 13. Both were considered close contacts of previous cases. The Scotts Bluff County case involved a man in his 20s, and the Morrill County case involved a woman in her 20s.
Scotts Bluff County saw another case, involving a man in his teens, announced on May 14. He was considered to be a close contact of a previously positive case. On May 15, Scotts Bluff County saw three additional cases, two involving women in their teens, and another involving a woman in her 20s, all of whom were deemed close contacts of previously positive cases.
Also, on May 15, Unified Command announced six recoveries, five in Scotts Bluff County and one in Morrill County.
On May 17, four new cases of COVID-19 were identified: a man in his 40s in Cheyenne County, a woman in her 30s in Scotts Bluff County, a woman in her 40s in Scotts Bluff County and a woman in her 90s in Scotts Bluff County all tested positive. All were deemed to be close contacts of a previously positive case.
On Saturday, another glitch in the state map documenting the spread of COVID-19 cases falsely showed another positive case in Dawes County. Unified Command officials confirmed that, as of press time, there is only one positive case in Dawes County that has been confirmed.
A press release from Unified Command encouraged people to continue with proper handwashing measures to stop the spread of COVID-19.
“The simple step of washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing can be critical to protecting yourself and others from disease. If soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands,” the release stated.
Another release from Unified Command recommended that people only wear gloves when cleaning or caring for those who are sick.
“For the general public, CDC recommends wearing gloves when you are cleaning or caring for someone who is sick. Outside of these instances (for example, when using a shopping cart or using an ATM) will not necessarily protect you from getting COVID-19 and may still lead to the spread of germs,” the release stated.