Coronavirus In Wyoming: Resources & News

  • Alissa Eckert, MS, Dan Higgins, MAMS

Wyoming Public Media is here to keep you current on the news surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. 

Updated 3:30 p.m. 6/2/2020

There are now 701 confirmed cases and 211 probable cases of COVID-19 in Wyoming. Uinta County was the only county with one new case bringing its total to ten.

Fremont County continues to report the highest number across the state due in part to a large scale testing program there.

All counties in Wyoming now have a confirmed case of the illness: Fremont 252; Laramie 122; Teton 69; Natrona 65; Washakie 32; Albany 23; Sweetwater 22; Campbell 18; Converse and Johnson counties have 14 cases each; Sheridan 12; Lincoln 11; Carbon and Uinta counties have nine cases each; Hot Springs eight; Crook five; Goshen four; Park two; Niobrara, Platte, Sublette, and Weston counties have one case each.

On Sunday, the Wyoming Department of Health reported the state's 17th coronavirus-related death. The Fremont County woman had previously tested positive for the illness and was hospitalized. There weren't any known conditions that would have put her at higher risk.

The Wyoming Department of Health reports that 534 lab-confirmed cases have recovered and 158 probable cases have recovered across the state.

The Wyoming Public Health Lab has completed 13,783 tests. Commercial labs reported completing 12,035 tests, and one test was completed by the CDC.

(Commercial labs are required to report positive test results to WDH; negative results are not reported consistently.)

Governor Mark Gordon's Press Briefings

Press Conference on COVID-19, May 27, 2020

State Orders -- Updated May 27, 2020

The Wyoming State Health Officer has issued the following public health orders:

Statewide Gatherings

The Wyoming State Health Officer has issued the following public health orders:

On March 27, Gov. Mark Gordon made further changes to his orders regarding public gatherings. The governor's updated orders allow for outdoor gatherings of up to 250 people to occur after June 1, with social distancing and increased sanitization measures in place.

On May 15, many restrictions under the above public health orders were eased. Restaurants may offer outdoor and indoor dining under certain guidelines, including but not limited to: staff that come within six feet of customers or other staff must wear face coverings; tables must be at least six feet apart; and tables must be limited to groups of six people, preferably of the same household.

The new public health orders also ease certain restrictions to other public gathering areas, including gyms, salons, movie theatres, performance venues, as well as churches, faith-based organizations, and funeral homes. For more details to each of the restrictions, please see links to public health orders above.

State Parks campgrounds were opened on May 15 for Wyoming residents only.

The prohibition does not apply to gatherings at private residences, hotels and motels for lodging purposes, government facilities and businesses, grocery stores and retail or business establishments that can provide adequate social distance spacing of 6 feet or more. Healthcare facilities are also exempt, as are long-term care and assisted living facilities that are complying with Wyoming Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control directives.

Wyoming Public Media would like to thank and recognize all health care workers, doctors, nurses caregivers, grocery store workers, truck drivers, and delivery workers during the global pandemic.

News & Updates:

Resources:

Do you have specific questions about the virus in Wyoming, you or your family’s health, what this means for your job, your home and your town's economy? Please submit them here and we'll do our best to report the information you need.

We also want to hear from you on how your community is responding. Tell us what you're seeing, hearing and experiencing in your neighborhood, grocery store and beyond.

On social media, use the hashtag #COVID19WY.

Ways to Connect

Overhead Costs Loom Over Wyoming Hospitals That Sit Empty

By • May 22, 2020

Hospital finances around the nation have been hit hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes Wyoming hospitals as they had to stop providing the non-essential services that make up a huge percentage of their revenue for a period of time. Wyoming Public Radio's Kamila Kudelska spoke with the president of the Wyoming Hospital Association Eric Boley on the situation in our state.

"The Creator Let Them Go Together:" A Family Remembers Three Loved Ones Lost To COVID-19

By • May 22, 2020

The extended Wheeler family of the Wind River Reservation has been hit hard by COVID-19. Several family members were infected in early March after visiting a relative at Lander's Showboat Retirement Center, where it was later announced there was an outbreak. Before long, 14 family members had tested positive for COVID-19, and five were hospitalized.

On April 20, the family lost three loved ones to the disease. Larry and Gloria Wheeler, who had been married more than 50 years, passed away hours before their 55-year-old daughter Dawn Wheeler. A dozen of their relatives shared memories of Larry, Gloria and Dawn in this audio remembrance.

 


Challenges And Opportunities As National Parks Start To Reopen

By • May 22, 2020
National Park Service; Yellowstone Forever

Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks partially re-opened this week and visitors from around the country are already flocking to the celebrated destinations. The parks are not back to normal quite yet as many facilities remain closed including campgrounds, restaurants, and entrances into Yellowstone from Montana and Idaho. In a press conference, Governor Mark Gordon said the goal is not to have the destinations overwhelmed.

77 Nobel Laureates Denounce Trump Officials For Pulling Coronavirus Research Grant

By • May 22, 2020

In an open letter to a top Trump Administration official, 77 Nobel prize-winning American scientists say they are "gravely concerned" about the recent abrupt cancellation of a federal grant to a U.S. non-profit that was researching coronaviruses in China.

Grocery Workers Union Estimates 3,257 Members Infected With Coronavirus

By • May 22, 2020

New data released by the United Food and Commercial Workers Union shows that among the grocery store workers it represents, 10,000 have been infected by or are known to have been exposed to coronavirus and 68 have died from it. At least 3,257 have been infected with the virus, the union estimated on Friday.

CDC Advice On Surface Spread Of COVID-19 'Has Not Changed,' Agency Says

By • May 22, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is clarifying its guidance to prevent the coronavirus from spreading, hoping to clear up confusion over whether a person can contract the disease by touching surfaces that have the virus on them. The agency said "usability improvements," including a headline change on its webpage about preventing viral infection, seemed to trigger news stories saying its guidelines have changed.

"Our transmission language has not changed," CDC spokesman Benjamin Haynes told NPR.

Equality State Policy Center Calls For Absentee Voting And Mail-In Registration

By • May 22, 2020
Chris Phan via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

The Equality State Policy Center wants the 2020 elections to be safe and widely accessible.

Trump Calls On States To Reopen Places Of Worship Immediately

By • May 22, 2020

Updated at 3 p.m. ET

President Trump said Friday that state governors should allow churches, synagogues, mosques and other houses of worship to reopen immediately.

In brief comments at the White House, Trump said houses of worship are "essential places that provide essential services." Churches have faced restrictions for gatherings and ceremonies as public health officials worked to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Some have chafed at the restrictions.

Scientists Say New, Lower CDC Estimates For Severity Of COVID-19 Are Optimistic

By editor • May 22, 2020

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week revised downward its estimates for future infections and deaths from the coronavirus, painting a picture of the pandemic that some scientists say is overly optimistic — and that plays into fears the agency could be responding to political pressure.

Requests For Oil And Gas Relief Are Growing In Wyoming

By • May 22, 2020
BLM's online reporting system lists lease suspensions in Wyoming, but not yet royalty relief approvals
BLM LR 2000 system

State and federal agencies are seeing an increase in requests for relief by oil and gas producers in Wyoming. The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) online records system finds 69 requests have been approved for lease suspension in May.

Fauci Voices Cautious Optimism About Moderna Vaccine, Calling Trial 'Quite Promising'

By • May 22, 2020

Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed "cautious optimism" Friday about the initial results from a coronavirus vaccine trial — which were widely celebrated this week — and said it remains "conceivable" that a vaccine for the deadly pathogen could be available by the end of the year.

For Some In Rural Communities Spared By COVID-19, Sacrifices Stir Resentment

By • May 22, 2020

This story was powered by America Amplified, a public radio initiative.

If you want a hearty breakfast in the small town of Thompson Falls, Montana, Minnie's Montana Cafe has you covered.

 


Food Banks Get The Love, But SNAP Does More To Fight Hunger

By • May 22, 2020

Millions of newly impoverished people are turning to the charitable organizations known as food banks. Mile-long lines of cars, waiting for bags of free food, have become one of the most striking images of the current economic crisis. Donations are up, too, including from a new billion-dollar government effort called the Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

Cody Businesses Prepare For Memorial Day Weekend

By • May 21, 2020
Yellowstone National Park/Creative Commons

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer, and an influx of tourists are expected to come through the state to visit some of Wyoming's national parks. But as with everything, this year is a little different.

Hundreds Potentially Exposed To Coronavirus Cases Tied To Casper Daycare And Nursing Home

By • May 21, 2020
Public Domain

Almost 300 individuals in Casper will be tested after potentially coming into contact with two recently confirmed cases of COVID-19.

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