So far this week, four confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Washington County – two of those in a Blair nursing facility. One, a woman in her 90’s is quarantined at the facility, the other, a man in his 70’s was sent to a hospital. Nebraska now has 66 cases of the Novel Corona Virus. Meanwhile, the state of Iowa says 21 more cases have been confirmed, bringing the total number of those infected with Covid-19 to 145. The first Iowa death from the virus reported yesterday in the eastern part of the state. At last report, Nebraska has 61 cases.
You will not hear test sirens today. Statewide tornado tests for Iowa and Nebraska were called off due to the Corona Virus. It’s still Severe Weather Awareness week according to the National Weather Service. With schools closed and many businesses closed or having restricted hours, National Weather Service officials felt the Tornado drill would not be as effective in teaching people what to do at school or work in the event of a tornado. Instead, the service recommends reviewing with your family members their roles in weather emergencies. Understand the difference between a Watch, a Warning and Emergency. More information is available online at Weather.gov.
Shortages of medical masks and other protective equipment is prompting volunteers in the Blair, Missouri Valley and Herman areas to come to the rescue… The Washington County Chamber of Commerce is accepting handmade cloth masks and sanitizing products to donate to the Blair Memorial Community Hospital. See more details on the Washington County Nebraska Chamber of Commerce Facebook Page.
The May Primaries are expected to happen, that’s the bottom line at this point according to the Washington County Clerk…Barbara Sullivan informed the Washington County Board of Supervisors at yesterday’s meeting that the Secretary of State is planning to hold that primary…at this time. Also at that meeting yesterday, a tax exempt status request by Christ Lutheran Church for property it plans to purchase on the former Dana Campus was denied. Once the church actually owns the suite it’s renovating, it can resubmit the request.
Federal officials have extended this year’s income tax filing deadline to July, now Nebraska officials are falling in line. Governor Pete Ricketts says the state deadline will be July 15th as well. The governor adds that rumors that the National Guard will be called to enforce martial law are not true, and also asks landlords and bankers to be more flexible on payments to diminish evictions of businesses and families.
- Reported by Connie Green
For more coverage of the Coronavirus and local community response, including news from Connie Green and guest host interviews with Kelly Johnson, click here.
More information on the Coronavirus can be found on the CDC website.
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