SWEETWATER COUNTY — As of the time of this release, there are currently109 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 across 15 of Wyoming’s 23 counties: Albany – 1; Campbell – 2; Carbon – 3; Converse – 1; Fremont – 25; Goshen – 1; Johnson – 7; Laramie – 22; Natrona – 12; Park – 1; Sheridan – 10; Sweetwater – 2; and, Teton – 20. Of these 109 positive cases, the state reports that 26 patients have recovered. No COVID-19 related deaths in Wyoming have been reported.

Contract tracing on the two confirmed positive cases here in Sweetwater County indicates that these patients’ infection is likely tied to one of the two original epidemiological clusters previously identified out of Natrona County.

As a result of the two confirmed positive cases here in Sweetwater County, local health officials have now identified over 50 people in total throughout the county who are either symptomatic and in quarantine pending official test results, or who are not ill and proactively and voluntarily self-isolating as a precaution.

Individuals who are not hospitalized with symptoms compatible with COVID-19 who are not tested due to testing supply shortages and are recovering at home should, at the direction of their care provider, isolate themselves until at least three days (72 hours) have passed since recovery, which is defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (i.e., cough and shortness of breath), and at least seven days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

Household contacts of these patients should, in consultation with their care provider, limit their public activities as much as possible for 14 days after incorporating precautions in the home, to monitor for symptoms and to isolate themselves should symptoms develop. If household contacts are required to go to work, they should, at the direction of their care provider, monitor their symptom at least daily and leave work immediately if symptoms develop.

Individuals who are not hospitalized with symptoms and are tested for COVID-19 should, in consultation with their care provider, self-isolate until test results are obtained. Wyoming Department of Health or Sweetwater County Public Health officials will then contact patients with confirmed COVID-19 to conduct an interview, identify close contacts and provide isolation recommendations.

Persons who are not hospitalized, but who have COVID-19 are instructed to isolate themselves in a private residence until at least three days (72 hours) have passed since recovery, which again is defined as the resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (i.e., cough and shortness of breath), and at least seven days have passed since symptoms first appeared.

Household and close contacts of symptomatic patients identified by state and local public health officials must strictly quarantine themselves for 14 days since last contact with the symptomatic patient or 14 days after incorporating precautions within the home.

Finally, effective today, by order of the State Health Preparedness and Response Manager, any medical facilities that continue to conduct any elective procedures or surgeries will no longer be eligible to receive any federal, state or local PPE resources from the Strategic National Stockpile as these resources are now exclusively and strictly reserved for COVID-19 related response actions.

We continue to work together as a community to contain the spread of COVID-19 in this county, and the Sweetwater County COVID-19Emergency Operations Center’s (EOC) primary goalremains to doing everything we can to keep the number of confirmed positive cases to as close to zero as possible here in Sweetwater County.

This requires a group effort from all of us. Social distancing means staying home as much as possible.

Anyone can spread the virus to another person. Effective social distancing demands we all observe these practices to help contain and prevent the spread of the virus. This virus impacts all of us, and is deadly for some. But social distance can make a difference for the people you care about and for our local health care system on which all of us rely.