COVID at the Manor: Yes? or No?

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
On June 29, updated information on COVID-19 cases in the state showed that Weston County’s number of confirmed cases increased from one to two. Weston County Public Health later confirmed on Facebook that Weston County appeared to now have a case that breached the borders and had been confirmed. 
Is this really the case? 
According to Mike Jording, the Weston County health officer, the county does not know if the case is a true positive. Lori Bickford, the county’s public health nurse, confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and further testing is being conducted. 
“There was a Weston County Manor resident who became ill, and in the evaluation of the patient, COVID testing was done. In fact, several tests were performed and not all of the tests have been in agreement,” Jording said Tuesday morning. “We are still working through the process to determine if this a real positive or not. Several tests have been done and we are still waiting on the results of the last test.”
The results were expected later in the day on June 30 or sometime on July 1. 
Despite the uncertainty, Jording and Denice Pisciotti, executive assistant at Weston County Health Services, have said that the facility has implemented the proper precautions, including visitor restrictions, and are monitoring staff. The precautions were designed by the Wyoming Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jording said. 
“We have many guidelines that we are required to follow from the Wyoming Department of Health, and we are following them to a T,” Pisciotti said. “This means we are testing 100% of the Manor staff and residents. As of yesterday (June 29), there will be no face-to-face visitation and we will continue with FaceTime or other internet visiting.”
At this time, the case is being treated as though the case is a confirmed positive, and the patient has been moved to the hospital for treatment, according to Jording. Health officials in the community are also conducting contact tracing. 
“We ... are in the process of conducting contact tracing and identifying those who may have had contact [with the patient]. We have not put any other individuals on quarantine at this time,” Jording said. 
If the test comes back as a true positive, Jording said, he believes this latest case could possibly be due to increased movement of people in and out of the community. 
“Data has shown an increased activity in Wyoming, and that ultimately has to do with our own behaviors,” Jording said. “More people are going out, and there is also an influx of people into the state.”
Bickford said, however, that completed contact tracing has not yet revealed evidence of community spread. 
“With increased activity, with larger gatherings and with people not practicing social distancing and using the proper precautions, there is an increased risk,” Bickford said. “At this time, in this particular case, nothing suggests that it came from anything like that.”
She did reiterate that the case is still under investigation. 
“People need to continue to follow public health orders and do their best to protect [themselves] and others. At any time, anyone could be exposed and not aware,” Bickford said. 
On June 29, the same day as the new Weston County case, Gov. Mark Gordon announced the extension of public health orders currently in place through July 15, at which time the COVID-19 situation in the state will be analyzed.
Gordon cited an increase in cases statewide as the reason for the extension, and encouraged residents to practice proper hygiene and social distancing, and to wear their masks in public.