South Heartland District Health Department (SHDHD) officials reported two more COVID-19-related deaths this week of previously reported cases, bringing the health district total deaths to 30.

Michele Bever, SHDHD executive director, reported the deaths were an Adams County man in his 80s who was hospitalized and had underlying health conditions and an Adams County woman in her 70s with underlying health conditions.

Bever also reported 174 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases for Friday through Monday, bringing the cumulative number of cases in the four-county health district to 2,581. The new confirmed cases for the four-day period include: 116 in Adams, 29 in Clay, 15 in Nuckolls and 14 in Webster. By county, the new cumulative totals are: 1,741 cases in Adams, 398 cases in Clay, 249 cases in Nuckolls and 193 cases in Webster.

Bever also reported the department had received 335 positive lab reports for the week ending Nov. 21, an average of 48 positive tests per day. The positivity (percent positive tests) was 14.5 percent, down from 17.5 percent the previous week. By county, the positivity was 16.5 percent in Adams, 12.2 percent in Clay, 10.95 percent in Nuckolls and 13.2 percent in Webster. Bever said positivity less than 5 percent indicates low community spread of the virus, while positivity above 15 percent indicates severe community spread.

Bever said she remains concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitals, schools, child care services, long-term care and local emergency and public safety services. She said many sectors are experiencing workforce issues because of COVID-19, which is impacting the availability and timeliness of those critical services.

“This Thanksgiving week, let’s pause to thank and remember these public servants – our law enforcement and emergency services personnel – and the local health care and long-term care workforce, many of whom will be working through the holiday. Let’s thank the educators and childcare providers who are teaching and caring for our children in these unprecedented times. And let’s remember our local businesses who have been facing their own extraordinary challenges during this pandemic,” Bever said.

“For all of these organizations and their personnel, let’s each do our part to slow the spread of the virus during this ‘pandemic Thanksgiving’,” Bever said.

“Doing our part this holiday season means keeping our gatherings small - celebrating only with people in our households is safest - and practicing prevention in everything we do and everywhere we go, including physical distancing, wearing masks, hand washing, disinfecting and staying home when we have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID,” Bever said. “Protecting our hospitals and health care workers, our emergency and safety workers, our teachers, and everyone in our communities, will need to be a community effort.”