In the Red

HARTINGTON — Cedar County has been pushed into red on the COVID-19 risk dial.

The scale has five varying degrees of risk from the coronavirus, ranging from green, or the safest, to red, the most severe.

The move was made by the Northeast Neb. Public Health Dept. because of the increasing number of COVID-19 cases being recorded here.

Cedar County now has 338 coronavirus cases. On Monday, Nov. 16, the NENPHD reported 29 new cases over the weekend.

At the start of November, Cedar County had nearly 100 fewer COVID cases as 240 cases were reported in the County Nov. 3. Wayne County leads the

Wayne County leads the four-county Public Health Dept. District with 666 positive cases.

Wayne County’s rapid increase has propfelled the county into the national headlines. The New York Times last week listed Wayne County as one of the fastest spreading spots in the entire country.

Pushing the area into the Red portion of the COVID-19 health dial is beginning to trigger several new measures designed to limit the spread of the virus.

Hartington-Newcastle Supt. A.J. Johnson said alternate plans are being made for this year’s Christmas concerts since crowd sizes and social distancing will be required this year.

Cedar Catholic Principal Chris Uttecht issued a video message telling parents that in order to keep the students in school all parents and students must stay vigilant about self-monitoring every day to make sure they do not have COVID symptoms and “we don’t have spread in our schools or in our communities.”

Masks, hand-washing, and proper hand washing must also be observed, he said.

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