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Nebraska’s counties have been placed under a direct health measure order (DHM) by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

To help prevent the spread of COVID-19, the DHM states its objectives are “to reduce morbidity and morality; minimize disease transmission; protect health care personnel and preserve health care system functioning.”

Nebraska Counties are placed under the order until May 11, “unless renewed, extended, or terminated by subsequent order.”

All persons are to abide by the following orders:

• Gatherings are prohibited: This includes any event or function that brings more than 10 people together, including schools, gyms, salons, fitness centers, weddings, funerals, fairs, concerts, etc.

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Sutton and Harvard was booming with activity Saturday, April 4, as each town hosted a cruise night. Lines of vehicles moved up and down Saunders Ave, waving and honking at others as they moved through Sutton. In Harvard, while various vehicles cruised throughout the streets, others, such as the Reutzel family—Emma, Kayla and Whitney—waved at drivers as they went by. TORY DUNCAN & ASHLEY D. SWANSON | CLAY COUNTY NEWS

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Clay County has transitioned to an all-mail county, which means for the Primary Election May 12, voters will need to send in their ballot through the mail or drop it off at the courthouse’s designated area.

The Primary Election ballot will include presidential, senate, congressional, Nebraska Public Power District subdivision 7, Upper Big Blue NRD subdistrict 5, and Harvard School Board.

Clay County Clerk Deb Karnatz said voters will not have everything on their ballots as it will depend what district they live in, whether they vote on the Upper Big Blue NRD and/or Harvard School District.

The HPS Board, which has eight people vying for three seats, will be the only Clay County race on the Primary Election Ballot. People hoping for one of the three spots include: Janet Hachtel, Bonnie Roberts, Texas Wagner, Cory Marshall, Michelle M. Callahan, Michael B. Nierman, Jerrold Hester, and Andrew Burbach.

Mark off five numbers in a row for a bingo and a prize.

The coronavirus pandemic has put a stop on every traditional school and community event that had previously been on the calendar for the next few weeks, leading several local towns to get creative in planning activities—like Fairfield’s Social Distancing Bingo.

Krista Calderon, a Sandy Creek Elementary teacher and mom who lives in Fairfield, came up with the idea for this community-wide activity nearly as soon as Gov. Pete Ricketts announced pandemic measures for the state.

The hope, Calderon explained, is to encourage community engagement in this time of isolation. Side benefits of encouraging people to go outside and do physical activity, inspire positive family time, and have fun.

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Wednesday, March 25, Sandy Creek staff spent a portion of the evening driving from one town to the next in a parade to wave at, honk, and say “hello” to their students while school is closed. Here, students Mason, far left, Gunnar, and Jubille Johanson show off their homemade signs while their dad, Arick, stands in the background with a sign of his own, during the parade route through Clay Center. This was one example of humor found along the route.

ASHLEY D. SWANSON | CLAY COUNTY NEWS

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Nobody knows when the coronavirus will infect other parts of Nebraska, but health department officials statewide agree that it’s inevitable.

Smaller counties across the state have fewer resources than Lancaster and Douglas and have been preparing for the virus by establishing hotlines, meeting with local organizations to inform the community and following the Center for Disease Control’s virus-related protocols.

“We know this is going to impact a certain number of people; we’re just trying to prevent it from impacting them all at the same time,” Julie McClure, communications, development and marketing director for East Central District Health Department, said. “If the progress of the disease among people is slowed, then there will likely be enough resources to treat those people.”

On March 24, South Central #5 and Sutton Public Schools announced they will be prolonging closure of school through April 30; Harvard Public School will also be closed through April 30, as announced March 25.

These decisions, as noted by each school, were made "with guidance from the Nebraska Department of Education...and the local health department."

Online learning will begin March 30 for all three schools, and will continue until each school is able to reopen.

Sutton and Harvard will re-evaluate reopening on April 16 (subject to change), on the basis of updated information and current situation.

Updated information will be posted to our website as information becomes available.

For more indepth information about your child's school, visit:

• http://www.harvardcardinals.org/

• http://www.southcentralunified.org/

<p>Since the publishing of the &quot;COVID-19 in numbers&quot; in the March 25 edition of the Clay County News, the number of confirmed cases in the United States of the coronavirus have spiked, supassing China&#39;s then-number of confirmed cases of 81,588.</p>

<p>As of 9 a.m., Friday, March 27, the United States reported 86,012 cases, which is 39,527 more than the number of cases reported March 24, according to the Johns Hopkins University and Medicine Coronavirus Resource Center&#39;s website.</p>

<p>Nebraska&#39;s Health and Human Services Department reported 81 confirmed cases (as of March 26), and no deaths.</p>

<p>The Centers for Disease Control, as of noon, Thursday, March 26, stated there have been 994 deaths in the United States, 594 more than reported on March 24.</p>

 Midland Area Agency on Aging and the Clay County Senior Center is closed to the public. The agency feels this action is needed to help limit the possible spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus among our areas aging population. 

We do not expect any disruptions in our Home Delivered Meal services and we will continue as expected. In lieu of our meal programs at our centers, we will offer carry out, or in some locations, home delivered meals may be an option. Please contact the Clay County Senior Center at 402-762-3226 to discuss what is available to you. 

“We will do our very best at Midland Area Agency on Aging to continue to provide all services possible but do ask that friends and family continue to check on the elderly to make sure they are doing well,” Casey Muzic, Director of Midland Area Agency on Aging, said.

Some ways to help support the elderly in your community are: 

Pheasant View Drive is likely to get much-needed repairs. L. Wayne Johnson spoke on behalf of his neighbors at the Clay Center City Council regular monthly meeting on March 17, at the city office in Clay Center.

“It is a situation that is and will continue to be pretty bad,” he said of the street that runs west of Highway 14 on the northern edge of Crooked Creek Golf Club.

“It’s not going away,” he added. “Besides a terrible eyesore, it’s a safety issue as well.”

Johnson described a section of the concrete drive, measuring approximately 160 feet long by six feet wide, that has severe cracking and heaving and poor drainage.

“It’s an ice pond in the winter time,” he said, “but I think the important thing is it’s not going to get any better.”

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