JACKSON, Wyo. (AP) - Health officials in a northwestern Wyoming county busy with visitors to Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks want to require people to wear masks indoors to limit spread of the coronavirus.
A rise in reported cases prompted Teton County Health Officer Dr. Travis Riddell to seek permission from state officials to impose the local order.
The order would also require people to wear masks while waiting in lines outdoors. Exceptions to the order would include instances when mask-wearing is impractical, such as while eating at a restaurant, the Jackson Hole News & Guide reported.
It would be the first mask-wearing order in Wyoming since the pandemic began in March. State officials will decide on the request within a couple days, state Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said Wednesday at a news conference with Gov. Mark Gordon.
Teton County on Wednesday had three new known cases within the previous day. Park County on the eastern side of Yellowstone had 13, the biggest increase as known COVID-19 cases reached new highs across Wyoming.
Gordon said he was optimistic until a week ago he could fully lift all of Wyoming’s remaining public-health orders to stem the spread of COVID-19. Instead, he announced Monday that current orders prohibiting large indoor gatherings without social-distancing or sanitizing measures will remain in place until at least July 15.
Now, reimposing certain orders isn’t out of the question, Gordon said Wednesday.
“I know most people are going to give us the victory signal one finger at a time, but that’s maybe something we have to do,” Gordon said.
The Wyoming Department of Health on Wednesday reported 1,514 laboratory-confirmed and suspected coronavirus cases in the state, including 1,119 people who had recovered from the illness. Nine people were hospitalized and 20 had died.
Worldwide, the number of infections is thought to be far higher than reported numbers because many people haven’t been tested and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
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