Governor extends COVID-19 guidelines

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Gov. Mark Gordon issued his second continuation of the statewide public health order closing bars, restaurants, theaters, gymnasiums, child care facilitates, K-12 schools, colleges, universities and trade schools statewide on April 3 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new order extends the guidelines until April 30 and further restricts restaurants by only allowing curbside and delivery orders. 
As of Monday, April 6, 210 people had tested positive in the state, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. Weston County is one of only five counties statewide to have no confirmed cases of the disease. 
Wyoming’s first presumptive positive test for COVID-19 occurred on March 11, and on March 13, Gordon declared a state of emergency and public health emergency.
Since that time, the number of cases has continued to climb, according to the Health Department. Businesses across the state have closed, as have all schools, beauty shops, theaters, state, city and county offices and restaurants. 
The newest recommendation from the  Health Department, dated April 6, states that personal face coverings should be used for specific residents.
“With new national recommendations encouraging the targeted use of personal face coverings due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a Wyoming Department of Health official is updating residents on why using them at key times could be helpful,” the release says. 
According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, wearing a cloth face covering in public settings such as grocery stores and pharmacies, where it is difficult to maintain social distancing standards, is advisable. 
Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist, said that experts continue to learn more about the virus and it is becoming clear that you can transmit the virus before showing symptoms. 
“This means the virus can spread between people who are close to each other without them realizing it is happening. That’s the reason for this change and new recommendation,” she said. “We want you to stay home and away from other people as much as possible. But if and when you do need to go out into the community, this is an extra voluntary measure CDC is suggesting to help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.” 
It is critical that everyone continue following the public health orders, she said, and that wearing a face covering is “absolutely not a substitute for social distancing.” 
Cloth face coverings that meet CDC recommendations can be purchased, made or adapted from common items and materials at low cost, according to Harrist. 
As guidelines from the state and federal government continue to change, local restaurants and businesses have had to adjust their routines to continue business.  . 
According to Pennie Loebs, owner of Wayback Burgers, she has had to limit staff and cut hours because of the restrictions. 
“We might have to reduce more. We are going to assess the situation this week after putting the governor’s new recommendations in place,” Loebs said. 
The business is still able to provide curbside and delivery services, she said. 
But, Loebs said, Wayback has suspended the delivery charge in place during the COVID-19 epidemic. The restaurant has an app for phones and other devices that allows people to order and pay without any contact. 
 Isabella’s and Miners on Main owner Hattie Conley said that the biggest thing she has focused on  is staying positive and doing her best to keep some normalcy in her life. 
“People still want to get food and try to socialize, even though they are at home,” Conley said. 
According to Conley, part of adjusting during the restrictions is thinking outside the box. She said that not only her business but other restaurants as well have adjusted their offerings. Pizza Barn’s pizza kits and Conley’s selling of produce and other grocery items are examples. 
“We are changing what we are offering during this time. There are certain things we are not offering because we can’t keep the supplies on hand,” Conley said. “We have definitely had to adapt.” 
Overall, Conley said, the situation has been sad, especially because of lagging income and sales. Still, she is trying to stay positive. 
“It is hard telling employees they can’t come to work, but there is not a whole lot we can do. You can only do so much cleaning. I know other businesses are trying to get maintenance stuff done during this time,” Conley said. “We are just trying to make do.” 
Rep. Hans Hunt, R-Newcastle, said that he hopes the governor does not further restrict business during the COVID-19 epidemic. Gordon is “between a rock and a hard place,” he said. 
“He has pressure on all sides,” Hunt said.
The governor is getting recommendations from health experts, the medical community and also the industries that are suffering, he said. 
“I don’t like seeing orders saying businesses must be closed, and I don’t like seeing orders dictate how we go about our daily life, and I hope we don’t have to progress beyond this,” Hunt said. “I don’t support a shelter-in-place order, and I hope it doesn’t resort to that.”
Hunt said he hopes to see the response to the pandemic evaluated in the future as to how best to balance public health with personal liberties and property rights. 
“It pains me to see what we have done to this point, and I really hope it doesn’t get more restrictive. This is causing enough economic heartache as it is,” Hunt said. 
Hunt, however, had praise for the medical professionals in the state, noting that the state had yet to see a death related to the coronavirus (as of April 6) and that he believes we are in a “lot better situation than other states, even some surrounding us.”
The Research and Planning Division of the Wyoming Department of Workforce Services noted in the February unemployment report that Wyoming’s economy has “undoubtedly” been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic with numerous layoffs across the state. 
“However, it will likely be some time before its effect will be seen in the economic data,” the report says. “The state unemployment rate is based on responses to the Current Population Survey, not claims for unemployment insurance.”
It noted that the current report is based on February’s unemployment rate, stating Weston County had an unemployment rate of 3.2% during the month. 
“It is unclear how much of the disruption to the economy will be captured in the forthcoming March unemployment rate estimates,” the report says.