Health director: little spread being seen in area schools

    Myra Stoney, director of the SW Nebraska Public Health Department (SWNPHD), said she is seeing “little spread” of COVID-19 related to school attendance.
    That was part of Stoney’s weekly report on case numbers in the district, which encompasses Chase County and eight others in southwest Nebraska.
    Stoney said the school systems and public health are working diligently to quickly identify and isolate positive staff or students and quarantine their close contacts.
    She believes that’s why school spread is minimal.
    “Many schools are requiring masks while the risk dial is in orange, which has greatly reduced the number of students or staff that need to quarantine by preventing exposures in classrooms,” she said.
    She said these methods have proven effective enough that in the event the community risk dial moves to red, most schools will be able to continue with in-person learning.
    Supt. Adam Lambert said, in his eyes, attendance numbers are back to normal at Chase County Schools.
    “The big thing to talk about is attendance,” he said.
    In the week of Oct. 12 when 12 positive cases were identified at the school, Lambert said there were upwards of 120 students absent either with a positive case, being quarantined or other reasons.
    The week of Oct. 19, that was cut in half, and last week, about 30 students were absent.
    On Monday this week, 25 students were out, which he said, in his eyes, is about normal for this time of year.

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