The Wyoming Public Health Laboratory is only accepting samples from patients that fall within the department's priority categories. Those include hospitalized patients, people living in communal settings, those over 65, pregnant women and those who have underlying health conditions.

The Department of Health's Kim Deti said the lab is lacking in certain supplies to test those samples.

"So to be responsible, we need to conserve that to ensure that we can turn around in a timely manner the testing that makes the most difference, that falls in those priority categories we've been talking about all along," said Deti.

Deti stressed there are enough tests to collect samples.

"What we're having trouble with right now, and we're concerned about, is some of the other materials that we need in the lab to actually run the tests at the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory," said Deti. "One of the components is called reagents, for example."

Those components are usually supplied by private companies or the government but are all low in supply.

Deti said she is not sure when the department will be able to receive more lab supplies.

Have a question about this story? Contact the reporter, Kamila Kudelska, at kkudelsk@uwyo.edu.