Fremont Community Releases Update Regarding COVID-19
City of Fremont, Fremont Public Schools, Midland University, Archbishop Bergan Catholic School, Trinity Lutheran School, Metropolitan Community College, Fremont Family YMCA, Three Rivers Public Health Department, Methodist Fremont Health, Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce, Senator Lynne Walz & Dodge County
Fremont, Neb. – (Jan. 14, 2022) Yesterday, representatives from the City of Fremont, Three Rivers Public Health Department, Methodist Fremont Health, Fremont Public Schools, Midland University, Archbishop Bergan Catholic School, Trinity Lutheran School, Metropolitan Community College, Fremont Family YMCA, Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce, Senator Lynne Walz and Dodge County met to share updates and to discuss the local response to COVID-19 and the COVID Omicron Variant.
Mayor Spellerberg opened the meeting by thanking all area partners for their tireless efforts and teamwork as we continue to fight the spread of Covid-19 and the new Omicron variant. “Since our first confirmed community case in March of 2020, our community came together with a focused plan to slow the spread of the virus, keep schools and businesses open, and vaccinate Fremonters. I want to thank the members of our community for following protocols set in place by area schools, businesses, and other organizations as we slow the spread of the current Omicron variant. COVID-19 and its current variants are not going away-so a vaccination and booster shot continue to be the greatest weapon we have to prevent serious illness and hospitalization.
“Terra Uhing and her team at the Three Rivers Health Department is doing a great job of keeping Fremont and the three Counties in its jurisdiction up to date with the latest information on the virus and new Omicron variant. The City and our community partners will continue to work with Three Rivers to focus on education and encouraging people to get vaccinated. As our community and hospital system are seeing a strong uptick in cases with the Omicron variant, please take necessary precautions to protect others and slow the spread. Monitor your symptoms, stay home when you are sick, and please take steps recommended by our health department. The path to a future without fear from the effects of COVID-19 and its variants is in the hands of the people and I am optimistic that they will continue to get vaccinated, boosted, and take the steps necessary, to protect themselves, their family and friends, and the general public,” concluded Spellerberg.
Three Rivers Public Health is offering free community testing in conjunction with Total Wellness. Testing will be Tuesdays 8:30 am – 3:00 pm, Thursdays 8:30 am – 12:00 pm and Fridays 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. Testing is located at 210 East Military Avenue in Fremont and you must have an appointment in order to be tested. Please visit https://www.totalwellnesshealth.com/private/3rphd/ to make your appointment. “It is imperative that we all continue to do our part through this latest surge of COVID-19 cases. Please stay home if you are sick, get vaccinated and wear a mask when out in the community to help us preserve our medical capacity,” stated Terra Uhing, Executive Director.
The following entities are providing an update regarding the status of current prevention measures as well as the announcements of the availability of facilities, events, and activities in Fremont.
City of Fremont
- All City buildings and facilities continue to be open to the public. Masks are not required but can be voluntarily worn.
Fremont Public Schools
Fremont Public Schools recently updated their COVID-19 protocols to the advanced protocols.
- FPS will require daily temperature tests for entry into school and recommends masking – masks are not required.
- Masks must be worn on district-owned/leased/chartered transportation.
- Students and staff exhibiting a fever greater than 100.0° will be required to stay out of school until they are fever-free for 24 hours.
- Only outside visitors with an educational purpose are allowed into buildings and must wear a mask.
- The district will continue to monitor COVID-19 activity within the schools and follow guidance from Three Rivers relative to changes in operations.
Archbishop Bergan Catholic Schools
- Archbishop Bergan will be a mask-choice school. Individuals will have the choice to wear masks on campus but masks are not required for entry into buildings. We recommend masking for all individuals.
- Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 must self-isolate for 5 days following symptom onset or test date if asymptomatic. Close contacts should social distance and wear a mask.
- Students and staff exhibiting a fever greater than 100.0° will be required to stay out of school until they are fever-free for 24 hours.
- Only outside visitors with an educational purpose are allowed into buildings and must wear a mask.
- Bergan Catholic School will not require daily temperature checks for school entry.
- Bergan Catholic School students will be required to wear a mask when they travel on a bus. This includes all bus routes, transportation to and from Mass as well as all extracurricular activities.
- The administration will continue to monitor COVID-19 activity within the schools and follow guidance from Three Rivers relative to changes in operations.
Trinity Lutheran School
- For non-exposure cases, Trinity remains a mask choice school. For cases of exposure/Covid illness, Trinity follows Three Rivers guidance for masking.
- Students and Staff exhibiting a fever greater than 100.0° will be required to stay out of school until they are fever-free for 24 hours.
- Only outside visitors with a pre-approved educational purpose or special circumstances (eg. facility repair) related purpose are allowed into the school building, and must wear a mask.
- Trinity Lutheran School will not require daily temperature checks for school entry.
- The administration will continue to monitor Covid-19 activity and follow guidance from Three Rivers relative to changes in operations.
Midland University
- Midland continues to follow the CDC’s recommendations along with guidance from Three Rivers Public Health.
- Classes at Midland resumed on January 10 and resident students were tested for COVID-19 upon their return to campus.
- Midland continues to require masks indoors while on campus. This applies to students AND visitors, including those attending indoor athletic events.
- Classes and extracurricular activities will continue to be held in person unless otherwise noted.
Metropolitan Community College
MCC will continue to offer in-person classes, as well as online, remote and hybrid classes. All MCC locations are open. The College requires masks inside all MCC-operated buildings. Students, staff and faculty are expected to maintain sensible distancing whenever possible. MCC will continue to monitor cases of employees and students with exposures or illness, using the COVID-19 Reporting Form; isolation and quarantine guidance will be provided to those using the form. New updates can be found at mccneb.edu/coronavirus, or on the College’s social media pages and internal network.
Dodge County
The Dodge County Courthouse will remain open, with all services available. Masks are not required, but can be voluntarily worn.
Methodist Fremont Health
Methodist Fremont Health has been treating an increasing number of COVID-19 positive patients in both the Emergency Department and the inpatient settings driven primarily by the more contagious Omicron variant and placing an unprecedented strain on our local health care system. “Our local healthcare workers are exhausted and they need your support. When you do access care, please be patient and kind. Our team members need it more now than ever,” stated Brett M. Richmond, President/CEO. Methodist Fremont Health continues to screen all visitors for COVID-19 symptoms and requires masking in accordance with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for health care settings. Methodist Fremont is also asking local residents to help slow the spread of the Omicron variant by getting vaccinated and boosted if they haven’t already and by practicing masking, hand-washing, and social distancing.
Fremont Family YMCA
- The entire YMCA facility is a mask-choice facility including the YMCA camp. Although not required, masks are strongly recommended.
- The Y Wellness Center on Methodist Fremont Health campus will follow the same guidelines as Methodist Fremont Health (Methodist Fremont Health continues to screen all visitors for Covid-19 symptoms and to require masking in accordance with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for health care settings).
- All YMCA employees will be required to wear masks throughout the building.
“We are fortunate in Fremont to have a community that supports each other and works together. We truly appreciate the leadership demonstrated by Mayor Joey Spellerberg, Methodist Fremont Health President/CEO Brett Richmond and Three Rivers Public Health Director Terra Uhing – they continue to lead us through these challenging times,” stated Mark Shepard, Superintendent of Fremont Public Schools.
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Hope Pierce
Coordinator of Communications & Public Relations
Fremont Public Schools
hope.pierce@fpsmail.org
402-727-3088
Jody Sanders
Interim City Administrator
City of Fremont
jody.sanders@fremontne.gov
402-727-2627
Dan Koenig
Principal
Archbishop Bergan Catholic School
dan.koenig@berganknights.org
402-721-9683
Holly Strudthoff
Principal
Trinity Lutheran School
holly.strudthoff@trinityfremont.org
402-721-5959
Bob Missel
Board of Supervisors Chairman
Dodge County
402-727-2785
Jody Horner
President
Midland University
jodyhorner@midlandu.edu
Terry Gilfry
Interim President/CEO
Fremont Family YMCA
terryg@fremontfamilyymca.org
402-721-6952
Todd Hansen
Executive Director, Fremont Area Center
Metropolitan Community College
thansen@mccneb.edu
531-622-3001
Terra Uhing
Executive Director
Three Rivers Public Health Department
terra@3rphd.org
402-727-5396 X103
Tara Lea
Executive Director
Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce
tara@fremontne.org
402-721-2641
Brett Richmond
President/CEO
Methodist Fremont Health Brett.Richmond@nmhs.org
402-727-3781
402-941-6000
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