CHEYENNE– Governor Mark Gordon started his COVID-19 Coronavirus press conference Friday afternoon with a stern speech about everyone’s responsibility to stay home and take hygiene and social distancing precautions, even in the absence of a Shelter-In-Place order.

“Let me make it clear at the start, that Wyoming is deploying every asset we have to combat this crisis of COVID-19 and the crisis that it presents to the state,” Governor Gordon said.

He furthered that everyone, including the Wyoming Medical Society, individual doctors, local medical societies, and the state government, are all saying the same thing:

“Stay home, practice extra hygiene, practice social distancing by maintaining at least six feet between yourselves, don’t mob stores or allow your kids to gather up for play dates,” Governor Gordon said.

The governor went through paper copies of different Shelter-In-Place orders, including Colorado’s, and pointed out that they all had multiple pages of exemptions for essential businesses. He tossed each order onto the ground, discarding them.

“If you’re waiting for me to issue a Shelter-In-Place order… what are you waiting for? Are you waiting for, ‘mother may I?’ Or are you taking care of yourself and practicing the common sense that we expect? One of our Wyoming values is ‘talk less, say more’. Our orders talk less and say more,” Governor Gordon said.

Governor Gordon said it is his message, as well as the message from healthcare professionals, that staying home and taking hygiene and social distancing measures seriously is the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Addressing the Shortage of PPE

Lynn Budd, Security Unit Chief of the Office of Homeland Security, said the WDH has a pandemic plan that has helped the state prepare for an event such as COVID-19.

Budd said the Office of Homeland Security is well connected with county emergency managers and public health officials to determine gaps in their response and help them fill those gaps. Those officials can then focus their energy on immediate needs.

However, she said there is currently a national shortage for personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE is critical for the safety of the state’s first responders and healthcare professionals.

As of today, the Wyoming Department of Health (WDH), in conjunction with the Wyoming Office of Homeland Security, has distributed throughout the state:

• 47,455 N95 masks
• 83,650 surgical masks
• 44,400 gloves
• 3,804 face shields
• 14,635 isolation gowns

These supplies came from the state inventory as well as the strategic national stockpile (SNS) shipment.

The state will continue to distribute supplies from the state inventory as supplies become available.

However, the state is expecting its third shipment from the SNS in the next coming weeks, and she said it will most and likely be the last shipment from the SNS.

The state has placed orders through Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), however, those orders will have a 25 percent cost share, whereas the shipments from the SNS were at no cost.

Federal Government is Canceling State Orders for PPE

In response to SweetwaterNOW’s question of whether Wyoming’s shortage of these supplies is due to population, planning, or if all the state’s are experiencing the shortage to the same extent, Governor Gordon said that the federal government is canceling orders from state’s across the nation.

“Every state at this point is finding that the federal government is stepping in and canceling our orders for PPE. This is very frustrating. Extremely frustrating when we have order that are supposed to be on their way and we find that FEMA, the agency that’s supposed to help us, has preempted that order,” Governor Gordon.

He said many of those orders are being sent to the East Coast. While Governor Gordon said he understands the East is in need, he believes those supplies could be sent to the Mountain West to keep these states ahead of the pandemic.

“As I said to President Trump, at the beginning of this week, ‘when you are doing this, Mr. President, please remember that you have the opportunity to be able to deliver some of that to Wyoming, to Montana, to North and South Dakota, so that we can get ahead of this and we aren’t playing catch up like the rest of the country’.”

Budd said the Wyomign Office of Homeland Security is very concerned with the federal government preempting the state’s orders for PPE.

“It’s happening at the state level as well as the county level. It’s disturbing,” she said.

However, she said they are doing everything they can to get PPE, including trying to order directly from China.

“We’re working very hard to find a way to get supplies to Wyoming. As the governor said, it’s not just Wyoming, it’s across the nation, and we have to figure out how we can get first in line,” Budd said.

Testing and Healthcare Limitations

This week, the WDH announced the Wyoming Public Health Laboratory will no longer be testing samples that do not adhere to the CDC standards for prioritized testing.

Dr. Alexia Harrist, State Public Health Officer, said she hopes more testing supplies will become available, she said it is not just Wyoming experiencing this. She said while supplies are limited, they must conduct tests where it is needed most.

While private labs are still an option, there are still not enough supplies for everyone to be tested. While testing is restricted, Dr. Harrist said that residents who are experiencing a fever or cough should treat it as if it is COVID-19, as it may or may not be the virus. This means self isolating until symptoms have ceased.

Dr. Harrist said that if the situation gets worse in Wyoming and reaches a worst case scenario, she is concerned there will not be enough hospital beds, ventilators, supplies, or healthcare workers to manage the virus. Therefore, she said staying at home, practicing hygiene, and practicing social distancing is crucial.

State Health Orders Extended and 14-Day Quarantine Directed

Governor Gordon announced prior to the press conference that he was extending the three existing statewide health orders through April 30 to help slow the spread of COVID-19.

In addition to this, he directed a 14-day quarantine for travelers arriving in Wyoming from another state or country. He explained that this quarantine is be directed for out of state residents who are traveling to the state for any purpose.

The 14-day quarantine does not apply to Wyoming residents who are traveling out of the state or returning to the state for work or necessary trips.

Education Continues

Wyoming State Superintendent Jillian Ballow was present at the press conference to discuss the 48 adapted learning plans that were approved this week for each school district in the state. These plans allow the district’s to continue education in unique ways.

She said all the plans differ in some way, but they all have elements of virtual learning as well as physical packets.

Although education is important, she noted, health comes first, so they are being flexible with working with districts within the parameters of their communities.

“Our guidance is very clear, and that is to put the health of yourself and your family and the community first and foremost,” Balow said.

Balow believes one of the most difficult parts of the adapted learning plans will be to engage students who considered at risk.

“It is going to continue to be a challenge to engage students who are at risk or who are not engaged in what we would consider normal school. So we have asked all educators to step up and make their first priority, in respect to learning opportunities, to connect with students and connect with families.”

The full update has been included below: