Uinta County public health officials have quarantined roughly 200 individuals following a community outbreak that seems to be the result of a public gathering on May 30 where social distancing measures were not taken seriously.
After having nine cases around the end of May, the county decided to loosen public health restrictions, and since that time it's seen the biggest growth of confirmed coronavirus cases in the state. It currently has 80 confirmed positives and 11 probable cases. So far, 24 have recovered.
County Public Health Nurse Manager Kim Profitt said the growth has been surprising.
"We've been pretty wholly overwhelmed. We've called in help, we've hired an extra contact tracer really fast. We did not anticipate anything like this."
Profitt said they are urging businesses and the public to use extra caution going forward. She added that the hospital has been averaging over 100 tests a day.
"This has definitely been an eye opener for all of us. You know it can spread very fast, it really can. What we were hearing in other states and other parts of the world…it really can just go. And one event, one night, it's had a huge impact in our community," said Profitt.
A number of the positive cases are younger people. She's worried they will spread it to those who are more vulnerable.
Have a question about this story? Contact the reporter, Bob Beck, at btwo@uwyo.edu.
