NEBRASKA CITY – The Nebraska City Public Schools will be closed Friday, Dec. 9, due to an increase in illness among the students and staff.

Superintendent Mark Fritch said the number of illnesses have increased each day this week.

Fritch: “They have got to a point where it will be difficult to operate tomorrow, if at all, so we have elected to cancel school.”

He said an absentee rate approaching 10 percent catches the administration’s attention. Hayward Elementary went through a high absentee rate a few weeks ago, but today seem to be on its way down. The situation is different at other buildings.

Fritch: “At Northside we’re getting up in the neighborhood of 16 and 17 percent of our students are absent because of illness and, at the high school, we’re getting close – not quite, but close – 25 percent of our students our out ill.  Including that with the number of teachers that are out, it’s time to take a break and give us a chance to get some people healthy so we can continue the semester strong.”

The school also canceled Friday classes on Nov. 11 due to a staff shortage.

Fritch said that situation was a staffing shortage, but Friday's closing is illness among students and teachers.

The school does not indicate the cause of the rise in illness, but COVID-19 risks are reported to have risen.

A status change announced this week by the Sarpy/Cass Department of Health indicates a move of the risk dial to "medium."  Cassgram reports that only Otoe County has stayed in the “low” category.

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department risk dial has increased, but remains in the moderate risk range.

 The last data tracker report on the number of cases in Cass County showed 24 confirmed active cases, compared to 17 on Nov. 4.

 Southeast District Health Department posted to its Facebook page steps to take if you are exposed to COVID-19 inluding monitoring,masking and testing. Exposure is described as within six feet of someone with COVID-19 for 15 minutes or more.

Fremont County Public Health canceled its vaccine clinic Thursday due to a limited number of vaccinations.

Here is a list of job vacancies at the school.

 

 

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