South Heartland District Health Department reports COVID death, says influenza rates are climbing

HASTINGS, NE — Local health officials say respiratory viruses continue to pose a danger in Central Nebraska.

The South Heartland District Health Department covers Adams, Clay, Nuckolls and Webster counties. Executive Director Michele Bever announced Thursday that one person died recently from COVID-19. That is the 157th person in the area to die from the virus since the pandemic started.

The rate of COVID-19 transmission appears to be dropping. It fell from a recent peak of 314 per 100,000 to just 53 per 100,000.

While COVID numbers declined, influenza numbers jumped. Bever says the rate of influenza cases has doubled over the last two weeks.

“What the case rates, wastewater and hospitalization results tell us is that there continues to be community transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as influenza and other respiratory illnesses," Bever said in a news release. "Prevention is our best bet to reduce our risk of getting infected and getting very sick or needing hospitalization,” Bever said.