Wyoming COVID surge shows no signs of slowing

Wyoming COVID surge shows no signs of slowing
 
By Joshua Wolfson
Casper Star-Tribune
Via Wyoming News Exchange
 
CASPER — It took four months for Wyoming to record 2,000 cases of coronavirus. The state identified more than that in just the past week, Wyoming Department of Health figures show.
Wyoming’s surge, which began in mid-September, continues to gain steam. The state last week set a dizzying number of highs, sometimes eclipsing records only days after setting them.
On Monday, Oct. 26, Wyoming set single-day records for confirmed (387) and total (436) cases. On Friday, it shattered both marks, with 431 confirmed cases and 521 total cases. (Total cases factor in probable as well as confirmed infections.)
Wyoming has one of the highest average daily rates of new cases in the nation over the past seven days, according to the New York Times count. Wyoming trails only five states, including neighboring Montana and South Dakota.
The state also set new all-time highs for hospitalizations. On Friday, Wyoming hospitals were treating 120 COVID-19 patients. Six weeks ago, that number hovered in the teens.
The state’s death toll has also climbed to new tragic heights. September had been the deadliest month for COVID-19, with 13 announced deaths. Wyoming ended October with 37 reported deaths for the month — nearly triple the old record.
Health officials say hospitalizations and deaths tend to trail cases by about two weeks. That means November has the potential to be even more deadly and more taxing on Wyoming’s health care system.
On Friday, Gov. Mark Gordon announced that the state’s existing health orders would be extended another two weeks. However, he’s held off ramping up restrictions on businesses or implementing a statewide mask mandate.
Last week, Laramie County — the largest in Wyoming — instituted its own mask mandate. It now requires face coverings in many public settings.