People returning from China asked to contact health department

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and its partners continue to closely monitor the unfolding outbreak of respiratory illness caused by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The virus originated in China and has spread beyond the country’s borders with confirmed cases now reported in multiple other countries including 11 in the United States. So far, there have been no cases identified in Nebraska.

In accordance with the recently declared public health emergency, the U.S. government implemented temporary measures to increase the ability to detect and contain 2019 n-CoV proactively and aggressively, which include the monitoring and self-isolation of arriving travelers from China. Any citizens arriving in the U.S. from Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, will be placed under federal quarantine and monitored. Both of these measures went into effect Feb. 2.

DHHS is also asking that travelers who left China within the last two weeks to contact their local health department for guidance and next steps. Informing the local health department of recent travel history to China is the most direct way to ensure timely medical care if needed and to minimize the potential risk to others. A map of Nebraska’s local health departments can be found at http://dhhs.ne.gov/CHPM%20Maps/NE_Health_Dept_Map_Dec_2016.pdf [icm-tracking.meltwater.com] . A list of local health departments along with contact information is provided below.

It is important to remember that people who may become ill upon returning from China are more likely to have other respiratory illnesses typically seen this time of year like flu, which might also require treatment.

While CDC officials consider 2019 n-CoV a serious public health threat, they say the immediate health risk to the U.S. public continues to be low at this time.

Nebraska public health continues to take action to prevent the spread of disease and protect the health of Nebraskans. Here’s what we’re doing:

• Sharing the latest guidance and information with local health departments, hospitals, health care providers, first responders and local and state labs through our extensive Health Alert Network to ensure a well-coordinated response in Nebraska. For the latest advisories, go to http://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Health-Alert-Network.aspx [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]
• Engaging in active and ongoing communication with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other state and federal partners as part of the overall national response to this emerging public health threat.
• Reviewing and enhancing response plans to be ready for the detection of this virus in our state.
• Facilitating confirmatory testing, isolation and monitoring of Nebraskans experiencing symptoms to identify cases as soon as possible.
• Updating dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus with the latest information and resources.
• With our local health department partners, we have a system in place to track and monitor people who have contact with a suspected or confirmed case in an effort to immediately detect secondary cases and minimize the potential for ongoing, undetected, person-to-person transmission.

For the most up-to-date 2019-nCoV information and resources, go to dhhs.ne.gov/coronavirus [icm-tracking.meltwater.com] or https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

For frequently asked questions about 2019-nCov, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

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Contact information for Nebraska’s local health departments

COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS

Dakota County Health Department1601 Broadway Street, Dakota City

Phone: (402) 987-2164

Web site: www.dakotacountyne.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Dakota County/Dakota City)



Douglas County Health Department1111 South 41^st Street, Omaha

Phone: (402) 444-7471

Web site: www.douglascountyhealth.com [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Douglas County/Omaha)



Scotts Bluff County Health Department1825 10^th Street, Gering

Phone: (308) 436-6636

Web site: www.scottsbluffcounty.org/health [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]- [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]department/health [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]- [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]department.html [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Scotts Bluff County/Gering)



CITY-COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT

Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department3131 “O” Street, Lincoln

Phone: (402) 441-8000

Web site: www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/health [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Lancaster County/Lincoln)



DISTRICT HEALTH DEPARTMENTS

Central District Health Department1137 South Locust Street, Grand Island

Phone: (308) 385-5175 x178; Toll Free: (877) 216-9092

Web site: www.cdhd.ne.gov [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Hall County/Grand Island, Hamilton County/Aurora, Merrick County/Central City)



East Central District Health Department

4321 41^st Avenue, Columbus

Phone: (402) 562-8950

Email: bwewel@ecdhd.ne.gov

Web site: http://ecdhd.ne.gov [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Boone County/Albion, Colfax County/Schuyler, Nance County/Fullerton, Platte

County/Columbus)



Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health DepartmentBox 779, Wisner

Phone: (402) 529-2233; Toll-Free: (877) 379-4400

Web site: www.elvphd.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Burt County/Tekamah, Cuming County/West Point, Madison County/Madison, Stanton County/Stanton)



Four Corners Health Department2101 North Lincoln Avenue, York

Phone: (402) 362-2621; Toll-Free: (877) 337-3573

Web site: www.fourcorners.ne.gov [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Butler County/David City, Polk County/Osceola, Seward County/Seward, York County/York)



Loup Basin Public Health Department934 “I” Street, Burwell

Phone: (308) 346-5795; Toll-Free: (866) 522-5795

Web site: www.loupbasinhealth.com [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Blaine County/Brewster, Custer County/Broken Bow, Garfield County/Burwell, Greeley

County/Greeley, Howard County/St Paul, Loup County/Taylor, Sherman County/Loup City, Valley County/Ord, Wheeler County/Bartlett)

North Central District Health Department422 East Douglas Street, O’Neill

Phone: (402) 336-2406; Toll Free: (877) 336-2406

Web site: www.ncdhd.ne.gov [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Antelope County/Neligh, Boyd County/Butte, Brown County/Ainsworth, Cherry

County/Valentine, Holt County/O'Neill, Keya Paha County/Springview, Knox County/Center, Pierce County/Pierce, Rock County/Bassett)



Northeast Nebraska Public Health Department215 North Pearl Street, Wayne

Phone: (402) 375-2200; 24/7 Phone: (402) 369-3822

Web site: www.nnphd.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Cedar County/Hartington, Dixon County/Ponca, Thurston County/Pender, Wayne County/Wayne)



Panhandle Public Health District808 Box Butte Avenue, Hemingford

Phone: (308) 487-3600

Web site: www.pphd.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Banner County/Harrisburg, Box Butte County/Alliance, Cheyenne County/Sidney, Dawes

County/Chadron, Deuel County/Chappell, Garden County/Oshkosh, Grant County/Hyannis,

Kimball County/Kimball, Morrill County/Bridgeport, Scotts Bluff County/Gering, Sheridan County/Rushville, Sioux County/Harrison)



Public Health Solutions District Health Department

995 East Highway 33/Suite 1, Crete

Phone: (402) 826-3880

Web site: http://phsneb.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Fillmore County/Geneva, Gage County/Beatrice, Jefferson County/Fairbury, Saline

County/Wilber, Thayer County/Hebron)



Sarpy/Cass Health Department701 Olson Drive/Suite 101, Papillion

Phone: (402) 339-4334 x6978; Toll Free: (800) 645-0134

Web site: www.sarpycasshealthdepartment.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Cass County/Plattsmouth, Sarpy County/Papillion)



South Heartland District Health Department 606 North Minnesota/Suite 2, Hastings

Phone: (402) 462-6211; Toll Free: (877) 238-7595

Web site: southheartlandhealth.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Adams County/Hastings, Clay County/Clay Center, Nuckolls County/Nelson, Webster County/Red Cloud)



Southeast District Health Department2511 Schneider Avenue, Auburn

Phone: (402) 274-3993; Toll Free: (877) 777-0424

Web site: www.sedhd.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Johnson County/Tecumseh, Nemaha County/Auburn, Otoe County/Nebraska City, Pawnee

County/Pawnee City, Richardson County/Falls City)



Southwest Nebraska Public Health Department404 West 10^th Street, McCook

Phone: (308) 345-4223

Web site: www.swhealth.ne.gov [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Chase County/Imperial, Dundy County/Benkelman, Frontier County/Stockville, Furnas

County/Beaver City, Hayes County/Hayes Center, Hitchcock County/Trenton, Keith County/ Ogallala, Perkins County/Grant, Red Willow/McCook)



Three Rivers Public Health Department2400 North Lincoln Street, Fremont

Phone: (402) 727-5396; Toll Free: (866) 727-5396

Web site: https://threeriverspublichealth.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Dodge County/Fremont, Saunders County/Wahoo, Washington County/Blair)



Two Rivers Public Health Department701 4^th Avenue/Suite 1, Holdrege

Phone: (308) 995-4778; Toll Free: (888) 669-7154

Web site: http://trphd.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Buffalo County/Kearney, Dawson County/Lexington, Franklin County/Franklin, Gosper

County/Elwood, Harlan County/Alma, Kearney County/Minden, Phelps County/Holdrege)



West Central District Health Department111 N Dewey/Suite A, North Platte

Phone: (308) 696-1201

Web site: http://wcdhd.org [icm-tracking.meltwater.com]

(Arthur County/Arthur, Hooker County/Mullen, Lincoln County/North Platte, Logan County/Stapleton, McPherson County/Tryon, Thomas County/Thedford)