Nebraska County Holds Back Coronavirus Despite a Statewide Surge

What does Wheeler County know that other counties don't?

Wheeler County is about two hours west of Omaha, and has only seen three reported cases of coronavirus, according to recent data.

Only 800 people live in Wheeler County, and the COVID rate is one out of 261 people. In Douglas County, the positive rate is one in 26.

"All you can do is all you can do." Nicole Drueke, a waitress at a local cafe tells WOWT-TV 6 News.

"We try to wash our hands more and when going out in public I wear a mask - so does my daughter."

Residents of Wheeler County have taken the COVID-19 safety precautions seriously from the very beginning. Derald Ober says the virus concerns him.

"There's something wrong with you if it doesn't." He adds.

While Wheeler County is small, there are smaller counties in Nebraska with more cases of COVID per capita.

"Most of the people that I know don't participate in gatherings, they shy away from that. When they go to town, go to the store, they put their mask on and do what they're supposed to do." Says Ober.

Wheeler County has the lowest rate of Positive COVID cases in the state according to the New York Times. The next lowest is Blaine County with a positive rate of one in every 233 people.

The county with the highest rate of coronavirus cases per capita is Dakota County, which includes Dakota City and South Sioux City. Dakota County has 2,598 cases of coronavirus according to the "Per Capita" section of The New York Times' Nebraska Covid Map and Case Count with a positive rate of one in every eight residents.

Other counties with high infection rates include Colfax County: which includes Schuyler, with a positive rate of one in every twelve residents, and Saline County, which includes Crete and Wilber, with an average of one in every fifteen residents.

All three of these highest ranked counties are within a two hour commute from the Omaha metro.

Douglas County ranks twelfth highest in the state for total COVID cases Per Capita, and leads Nebraska with the most deaths.

(Photo by WOWT 6 News)


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