KEARNEY –Two Rivers Public Health updated the weekly risk dial on Thursday, November 5. The level of risk has
elevated farther into the red “Pandemic” level. Many factors go into determining the level of risk each week. The following factors
contributed to this week’s determination:
- Testing availability has expanded over the past week due to the addition of test appointments available to the public in
Gothenburg and Kearney at TestNebraska sites. Testing turnaround time has increased, but not significantly. - Reports of the shortage of testing supplies, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) continue to hamper testing efforts at
private hospitals, clinics and labs. - TRPHD saw an average of 51 individuals hospitalized due to COVID-19. ICU availability has dropped, and ventilator usage
has increased, although prolonged hospitalizations are not seen currently. - Multiple smaller outbreaks seem to be either ongoing or imminent across Buffalo, Phelps, Kearney and Franklin counties.
- The weekly positivity rates of tests are now consistently above the statewide average (see weekly report for details). Rates
continue to climb among seniors aged over 60. - Contact tracing staff report widespread community spread, with information regarding multiple outbreaks within a county,
including at long term care facilities. - For these reasons, we have shifted the risk dial to a position of heightened pandemic risk to reflect our assessment of
increased infection rates among vulnerable age groups and populations.
The full weekly report can now be found online at www.trphd.org.
