COVID Numbers Improve

The COVID-19 risk dial continues to improve for the Panhandle region.

The current risk level is defined at 2.50, about the midpoint of the high risk range, the third highest of the four-point dial. Cheyenne County’s risk assessment is at 2.7. The city of Sidney is also assigned a risk level of 2.7.

As of the January 18 update, there have been 32,122 tests administered. Of that number, 8,238 returned positive. There have been 173 deaths attributed to COVID since records started. More than half of that number, 98, are attributed to close contact and 56 by community spread. The 70 to 79 age...