COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming
The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. state of Wyoming in March 2020. On April 13, Wyoming became the last state in the U.S. to report its first death from COVID-19.[2]
| COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming | |
|---|---|
 Map of the outbreak in Wyoming by confirmed new infections per 100,000 people (14 days preceding February 8)
1,000+
500–1,000
200–500
100–200
50–100
20–50
10–20
0–10
No confirmed new cases or no/bad data | |
 Map of the outbreak in Wyoming by confirmed total infections per 100,000 people (as of February 8)
10,000+
3,000–10,000
1,000–3,000
300–1,000
100–300
30–100
0–30
No confirmed infected or no data | |
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Wyoming, U.S. |
| First outbreak | California, U.S. |
| Index case | Sheridan County |
| Arrival date | March 11, 2020 |
| Confirmed cases | 45,047[1] |
| Suspected cases‡ | 7,737[1] |
| Recovered | 51,291[1] |
Deaths | 624[1] |
| Government website | |
| covid19 | |
| ‡Suspected cases have not been confirmed by laboratory tests as being due to this strain, although some other strains may have been ruled out. | |
| Part of a series on the |
| COVID-19 pandemic |
|---|
 |
|
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} COVID-19 Portal |
As of December 30, 2020, Wyoming has administered 5,466 COVID-19 vaccine doses, equivalent to 0.94% of the population.[3]
Timeline
March 2020
On March 11, the first case of COVID-19 in Wyoming, a woman in Sheridan County who had recently travelled domestically, was reported.[4][5] On March 15, Governor Mark Gordon recommended closing all public schools.[6] On March 24, Yellowstone National Park closed to visitors.[7]
April 2020
On April 17, the Democratic Party of Wyoming announced they would conduct their caucus through the mail.[8] A protest occurred on April 20, with approximately 100 protesters confronting the governor in Cheyenne, calling for the state to be reopened.[9]
May 2020
- May 4: Working groups announced to plan the reopening of the University of Wyoming campus.[10]
- May 13: A new statewide order issued allowing K-12 schools to have onsite instruction.[11]
- May 14:
- 688 cases confirmed with 7 deaths.[12][13] The University of Wyoming announced the school was moving towards on-campus instruction for the fall semester.[14] It requested $46 million of federal stimulus money to assist with the re-opening on campus.[15]
- May 15: Restaurants and bars re-opened with employees required to wear coverings over their face.[12]
- May 18:
- Yellowstone National Park reopened to tourism.[16] The East entrance in Wyoming opened while the West entrance in Montana remained closed.[7] Cars lined up as early as 5:30 a.m. to enter the park.[17] Two more deaths were reported that day.[18]
- May 19:
- May 20: A child care center in Casper closed after one child tested positive for COVID-19.[21]
- May 26: Wyoming health workers announced they were concerned to see there was a 42% drop in immunizations in the state throughout the month of April.[22]
- May 27: A major rodeo, Cheyenne Frontier Days, was canceled for the first time since 1897.[23]
June 2020
July 2020
- July 19: 25 deaths have been reported.[26]
- July 22: 10 cases are confirmed at the Wyoming State Penitentiary in Rawlins after staff members conducted 876 tests of the virus.[27]
August 2020
- August 26: Nine people who tested positive reported attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.[28]
October 2020
- October 26: By late October, with 3300 cases statewide, up from 500 in July, Wyoming had one of the highest infection rates per capita in the United States.[29] An epidemiologist with the Wyoming Department of Health said "cases are growing far too quickly".[30] Casper mayor Steve Freel said the city would not make wearing masks mandatory.[31]
December 2020
Igor Shepherd, a state health official, resigns after the Casper Star-Tribune reveals that Shepherd referred to the "so-called pandemic" and said it was a Russian-Chinese plot to spread communism. Wyoming has reported 37,000 cases and 200 deaths, and a statewide mask mandate began on December 7.[32]
Governor's Task Force and Wyoming Hunger Initiative
On March 17, 2020, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon "announced the creation of five task forces designed to tackle the effects of the spreading coronavirus", and condemned hoarding in the state.[33]
First Lady Jennie Gordon spearheaded the Wyoming Hunger Initiative to give much needed resources to nonprofits throughout the state. In May 2020 $40,000 was contributed to this fund to organizations such as the Wyoming Food Bank as well as to mobile food banks throughout the state.[34]
Impact on the Wyoming business community
Industries have had varying responses, with energy companies in the state trying to balance safety with continued productivity by imposing quarantine and travel restrictions.[35] In April and May 2020 the Wyoming Business Council hosted a series of webinars for business owners to help them transition to re-opening their businesses.[36]
On May 27, 2020, it was reported that the state of Wyoming would lose $1.5 billion in revenue due to COVID-19.[37] Since Wyoming is one of seven states with no income tax multiple proposals were shared to address this revenue shortage such as spending cuts.[37]
Impact on colleges
As a result of COVID-19, the University of Wyoming decided to offer their courses for the summer of 2020 online.[38] In mid-May the University announced they were working towards re-opening the campus for the fall 2020 semester.[39] Community colleges announced a variety of closures, including a move to distance learning at Casper College, Central Wyoming College and Northwest College.[40]
Eastern Wyoming College was granted approval from Goshen County Public Health to re-open on May 18.[41] Employees from this university worked 50% remotely and 50% on campus.[41]
Impact on Northern Arapaho tribe
It was announced on April 21, 2020 that four members of the Northern Arapaho tribe had died from COVID-19.[42] All four had lived in Fremont County.[42] Tribe Chairman Lee Spoonhunter was quoted as saying, "These tribal members were our family members who were dearly loved."[43] Advocacy groups raised concerns COVID-19 could be having a disproportionate impact on Native American tribes as a result of higher rates of preexisting conditions such as diabetes.[44] Some tribal members noted the crisis has also given community members the opportunity to share more oral stories.[44] Similar to the national trend throughout the United States, people of color in the state of Wyoming were disproportionally impacted by COVID-19.[45] As of May 18, 2020, 2.7 percent of COVID-19 cases were American Indian/Alaska Native.[45] Six tribe members had died of COVID-19 as of May 20.[46] Representative Andi Clifford, a citizen of the Northern Arapaho tribe, made an announcement about the 6th death on Facebook.[46]
COVID-19 also had a major impact on the economy of the Northern Arapaho tribe as the casino on the Wind River Indian Reservation was converted into a location for quarantine run by Dr. Paul Ebbert.[47][48]
Impact on sports
In college sports, the National Collegiate Athletic Association cancelled all winter and spring tournaments, most notably the Division I men's and women's basketball tournaments, affecting colleges and universities statewide.[49] On March 16, the National Junior College Athletic Association also canceled the remainder of the winter seasons as well as the spring seasons.[50] High school sports were also cancelled.[5] The 3A / 4A high school tournament played 2 games with no fans and then cancelled the tournament before most teams even played. Student athletes at the University of Wyoming were scheduled to return to the Laramie campus on June 1, 2020.[15] A two-week quarantine is required.[15]
COVID-19 in Yellowstone
The National Park Service has issued regular updates to closures in Yellowstone National Park based on CDC guidance.[51] The Thermus aquaticus bacteria found in the thermal lakes in Yellowstone has been reported to be useful in testing for COVID-19. Controlling COVID-19 in Yellowstone has been logistically complicated as the national park spans three different states.[39]
Yellowstone reopened to the public with a long line of cars at the east entrance on May 18, 2020, after being closed for seven weeks.[16] Within two hours of opening 200 cars entered the park. The Wyoming entrance opened first to control the flow of tourism into the park.[17] The park did not allow lodging, food service or any tour buses, and many visitors did not wear masks.[16][17]
Protests
Throughout April and May, there were several protests in Wyoming against the government's orders closing the state. One small protest took place in April in Casper.[52]
Statistics
| County[lower-alpha 1] | Confirmed Cases[lower-alpha 2] |
Probable Cases[lower-alpha 2] |
Total Cases[lower-alpha 2] |
Deaths | Confirmed Recov. |
Probable Recov. |
Total Recov. |
Population[lower-alpha 3] | Confirmed Cases / 100k |
Total Cases / 100k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 / 23 | 45,047 | 7,737 | 52,784 | 624 | 43,785 | 7,506 | 51,291 | 578,759 | 7,783.4 | 9,120.2 |
| Albany | 3,468 | 363 | 3,831 | 11 | 3,430 | 356 | 3,786 | 38,880 | 8,919.8 | 9,853.4 |
| Big Horn | 841 | 173 | 1,014 | 28 | 803 | 161 | 964 | 11,790 | 7,133.2 | 8,600.5 |
| Campbell | 4,181 | 472 | 4,653 | 55 | 4,096 | 463 | 4,559 | 46,341 | 9,022.2 | 10,040.8 |
| Carbon | 1,183 | 107 | 1,290 | 21 | 1,141 | 96 | 1,237 | 14,800 | 7,993.2 | 8,716.2 |
| Converse | 524 | 398 | 922 | 14 | 511 | 383 | 894 | 13,822 | 3,791.1 | 6,670.5 |
| Crook | 383 | 34 | 417 | 10 | 373 | 32 | 405 | 7,584 | 5,050.1 | 5,498.4 |
| Fremont | 3,914 | 676 | 4,590 | 79 | 3,753 | 649 | 4,402 | 39,261 | 9,969.2 | 11,691.0 |
| Goshen | 1,038 | 90 | 1,128 | 21 | 1,008 | 86 | 1,094 | 13,211 | 7,857.1 | 8,538.3 |
| Hot Springs | 267 | 89 | 356 | 3 | 264 | 89 | 353 | 4,413 | 6,050.3 | 8,067.1 |
| Johnson | 403 | 213 | 616 | 9 | 395 | 210 | 605 | 8,445 | 4,772.1 | 7,294.3 |
| Laramie | 6,858 | 1,179 | 8,037 | 93 | 6,732 | 1,153 | 7,885 | 99,500 | 6,892.5 | 8,077.4 |
| Lincoln | 1,007 | 157 | 1,164 | 11 | 975 | 154 | 1,129 | 19,830 | 5,078.2 | 5,869.9 |
| Natrona | 5,752 | 1,844 | 7,596 | 121 | 5,589 | 1,806 | 7,395 | 79,858 | 7,202.8 | 9,511.9 |
| Niobrara | 64 | 83 | 147 | 2 | 62 | 82 | 144 | 2,356 | 2,716.5 | 6,239.4 |
| Park | 2,404 | 146 | 2,550 | 23 | 2,343 | 145 | 2,488 | 29,194 | 8,234.6 | 8,734.7 |
| Platte | 372 | 191 | 563 | 11 | 352 | 188 | 540 | 8,393 | 4,432.3 | 6,708.0 |
| Sheridan | 2,351 | 600 | 2,951 | 22 | 2,284 | 570 | 2,854 | 30,485 | 7,712.0 | 9,680.2 |
| Sublette | 540 | 127 | 667 | 7 | 525 | 120 | 645 | 9,831 | 5,492.8 | 6,784.7 |
| Sweetwater | 3,424 | 135 | 3,559 | 33 | 3,343 | 130 | 3,473 | 42,343 | 8,086.3 | 8,405.2 |
| Teton | 3,183 | 74 | 3,257 | 7 | 3,002 | 68 | 3,070 | 23,464 | 13,565.5 | 13,880.8 |
| Uinta | 1,674 | 314 | 1,988 | 12 | 1,624 | 302 | 1,926 | 20,226 | 8,276.5 | 9,828.9 |
| Washakie | 690 | 180 | 870 | 26 | 663 | 177 | 840 | 7,805 | 8,840.5 | 11,146.7 |
| Weston | 526 | 92 | 618 | 5 | 517 | 86 | 603 | 6,927 | 7,593.5 | 8,921.6 |
| Updated February 8, 2021 Data is publicly reported by Wyoming Department of Health[53][54] | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||
See also
- Timeline of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
- Yellowstone National Park
- COVID-19 pandemic in the United States – for impact on the country
- COVID-19 pandemic – for impact on other countries
References
- "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)". Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Retrieved March 17, 2020.
- "COVID-19 Map and Statistics – Wyoming Department of Health". Health.wyo.gov. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
- "More Than 5.6 Million Shots Given: Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker". Bloomberg. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
- "First coronavirus case reported in Wyoming". Casper Star-Tribune. March 11, 2020. Archived from the original on March 18, 2020. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- La Ganga, Maria L. (March 19, 2020). "Think the most isolated corners of the U.S. are safe from coronavirus? Think again". Los Angeles Times.
- "Natrona County School District Closind Schools Starting Monday Amid COVID-19 Pandemic". Oil City News. March 15, 2020. Archived from the original on March 16, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
- Park, Mailing Address: PO Box 168 Yellowstone National; Us, WY 82190-0168 Phone: 307-344-7381 Contact. "Yellowstone will begin first phase of reopening on May 18 - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". nps.gov. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- "17 Apr 2020, A5 - Casper Star-Tribune". Caspar-Star Tribune. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- "Wyoming governor engages with COVID-19 protesters at Capitol". AP NEWS. April 20, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- "UW Working Groups Focus on Fall Reopening Issues | News | University of Wyoming". uwyo.edu. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- "Fourth Continuation, and Modification, of Statewide Public Health Order..." (PDF). May 13, 2020. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 26, 2020.
- EDT, Meghan Roos On 5/14/20 at 5:41 PM (May 14, 2020). "Wyoming, state with the least number of coronavirus deaths, to reopen bars and restaurants Friday". Newsweek. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- Times, The New York. "Wyoming Coronavirus Map and Case Count". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- "UW Moves Toward On-Campus Education This Fall | News | University of Wyoming". uwyo.edu. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- seth.klamann@trib.com, Seth Klamann 307-266-0544. "University of Wyoming to request $46M in federal stimulus money as it eyes reopening in fall". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- French, Brett. "Yellowstone reopens after 7-week pandemic closure". The Billings Gazette. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- Gilbert, Samuel (May 19, 2020). "'Not a mask in sight': thousands flock to Yellowstone as park reopens". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- Hallberg, Tom. "Two more Wyoming COVID-19 deaths reported". Jackson Hole News&Guide. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- writers, Brandon Foster and Joshua Wolfson Star-Tribune staff. "Over 100 Wyoming Medical Center workers tested recently for COVID-19". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- brandon.foster@trib.com, Brandon Foster 307-266-0574. "Watch now: Health officer links rise in COVID-19 cases with people not taking precautions seriously". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- josh.wolfson@trib.com, Joshua Wolfson 307-266-0575. "Casper child care center closed, 58 told to quarantine after child tests positive for coronavirus". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- Learned, Nick. "Wyoming Health Officials See 'Alarming' 42% Drop in Immunizations". K2 Radio. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- WyoSports, Jeremiah Johnke. "Cheyenne Frontier Days canceled for first time in its history". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- "COVID-19 tips among free June webinars to help Alzheimer's caregivers". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- "COVID-19 daily briefing: June 8, 2020". WyoFile. June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- "15 New Coronavirus Cases Reported, One New Death". Cowboy State Daily. July 19, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
- "Inmates, staff at state penitentiary test positive for COVID-19". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. July 22, 2020.
- O'Kane, Caitlin (August 26, 2020). "More than 100 coronavirus cases in 8 states linked to massive Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota". cbsnews.com. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
- Press, MEAD GRUVER Associated. "Wyoming among top five states for COVID-19 infection rate". Casper Star-Tribune Online.
- "With virus escalating, Wyoming Department of Health recommendations critical". wyomingnewsnow.tv.
- morgan.hughes@trib.com, Morgan Hughes 307-266-0505. "COVID-19 hospitalizations in Wyoming exceed 100; officials expect 'exponential' growth". Casper Star-Tribune Online.
- Budryk, Zack (December 9, 2020). "Wyoming health official resigns after calling COVID-19 pandemic a communist plot". TheHill. The Hill. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- Klamann, Seth; Hughes, Morgan (March 16, 2020). "Wyoming governor announces creation of five task forces to battle effects of coronavirus". Casper Star-Tribune.
- "Wyoming Hunger Initiative allocates $90,000 in May to feed families, support infrastructure". Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- Erickson, Camille (March 17, 2020). "Energy companies in Wyoming intensify response to coronavirus outbreak". Casper Star-Tribune.
- "Wyoming Covid-19 Transition Webinars - Wyoming Business Council". wyomingbusiness.org. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- "Report: Up to $1.5 billion Wyoming revenue hit amid COVID-19". Gillette News Record. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- "Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information | Student Health Service | University of Wyoming". uwyo.edu. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- "Yellowstone National Park Set To Reopen — But With Caveats". NPR.org. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- "Wyoming Community College Commission" (PDF). May 18, 2020. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- Sherrod, Brian. "Eastern Wyoming College receives approval to reopen May 18th". ksnblocal4.com. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- "Northern Arapaho Tribe (Wyoming)". COVID-19 in Indian Country. April 21, 2020. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- Maher, Savannah. "Northern Arapaho Tribe Loses Four Members To COVID-19". wyomingpublicmedia.org. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- "Wyoming tribes face unique challenges in coronavirus fight". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- staff, Star-Tribune. "Daily Wyoming coronavirus update: 12 new cases, 6 new recoveries". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
- chris.aadland@trib.com, Chris Aadland. "Northern Arapaho man dies after contracting coronavirus; Wyoming fatality total now at 11". Casper Star-Tribune Online. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- Romero, Simon; Healy, Jack (May 11, 2020). "Tribal Nations Face Most Severe Crisis in Decades as the Coronavirus Closes Casinos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- April 18, CBS News; 2020; Pm, 1:18. "Longstanding issues put Native American communities at high COVID-19 risk". cbsnews.com. Retrieved May 14, 2020.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
- Osburn, Stacey (March 12, 2020). "NCAA cancels remaining winter and spring championships". NCAA. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
- DeCamp, Scott (March 16, 2020). "NJCAA cancels spring sports, basketball nationals amid coronavirus outbreak". MLive.com. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
- Park, Mailing Address: PO Box 168 Yellowstone National; Us, WY 82190-0168 Phone: 307-344-7381 Contact. "Yellowstone to modify operations to implement latest COVID-19 health guidance - Yellowstone National Park (U.S. National Park Service)". nps.gov. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- "11 Apr 2020, A1 - Casper Star-Tribune". Casper-Star Tribune. Retrieved May 21, 2020.
- "Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)". Wyoming Department of Health. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
- "COVID-19 Map and Statistics". Wyoming Department of Health. Retrieved February 8, 2021.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to COVID-19 pandemic in Wyoming. |
- Information from the State of Wyoming
