UINTA COUNTY — Due to a recent COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak in Uinta County, more than 250 people have been quarantined or isolated, according to Uinta County Public Health (UCPH).
On June 17, UCPH released more information to Uinta County residents through its Facebook Page. According to that post, “The county has over 250 people in quarantine or isolation right now. With that many, it is unlikely that businesses, agencies and families WON’T feel an impact of some sort from our current outbreak situation.”
The latest statistics from the Wyoming Department of Health’s (WDH) June 17 report shows Uinta County saw seven more COVID-19 cases and six more probable cases in a 24-hour period. Uinta currently has 87 COVID-19 positive cases and 17 probable cases. Since June 4, the numbers have continued to increase. On June 4, Uinta County reported 10 COVID-19 positive cases and three probable cases, according to the WDH’s June 4 report.
In a June 15 Facebook post, UCPH reported some information on the new cases: “At this time the majority of these new cases fall into the category of the 20-29 age group. Most report some illness, some moderately severe, including high fevers, painful body aches, and difficulty breathing. A few have had only minor symptoms, like loss of sense of taste or smell and a slight headache. There has been one hospitalization that we know of.”
Prior to this outbreak, Uinta County was one of the counties that appeared to be stable. With so many new cases, the UCPH decided to quarantine or isolate those who contracted the virus and those who are waiting on their test results to come back.
“Quarantine and isolation are the main strategies we are implementing in reaction to new cases,” the UCPH Facebook post states. “The aim of this tactic is to seek to control the spread of the virus enough to keep new case numbers from spiking too high, too fast. The issue with big spikes like that is that there is significant potential of overwhelming our healthcare systems.”
The long June 17 Facebook post goes on to explain the difference between being quarantined or isolated.
“Isolation orders are generally issued for people who are known to have a disease, while quarantine orders are intended for people who have been potentially exposed to a disease,” the post explained.
Quarantine means staying home or on your property, and at least 6 feet away from others for 14 days. Those who were in close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19 will need to be quarantined, while those who tested positive for the virus will need to be isolated.
“Isolation is a period of time in which you must remain on your property, and isolated away from household members as much as possible, as you recover from COVID-19, or if you did not have symptoms at the time of testing, remain there in the event that you develop symptoms,” the UCPH post states. “The date of your release is dependent on the current understanding of the period of contagiousness, and the resolution of your symptoms.”
To see the post in its entirety, click on the link below.
THE LATEST COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS NEWS & INFO FROM THE WYOMING DEPT. OF HEALTH
What to do if you feel sick: If you think you have been exposed to COVID-19 and are showing symptoms, please call your primary care provider or seek medical attention.
Please follow these tips to slow the spread of this virus:
- Follow Public Health Orders
- Practice social distancing of 6 feet or more.
- Wear cloth face coverings in public settings, especially when physical distancing of at least 6 feet isn’t available.
- Stay home when sick and avoid other people unless you need medical attention.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Older people and those with health conditions that mean they have a higher chance of getting seriously ill should avoid close-contact situations.
- Long-term care and healthcare facilities should follow guidelines for infection control and prevention.
For current news, updates, closures and resources, please visit our COVID-19 Coronavirus page here.
