County COVID case increase attributed to multiple social events

WORLAND — In a week, Worland and Washakie County has seen an increase of 33 lab-confirmed COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday, Aug. 11. Four of the cases are reported as recovered by the Wyoming Department of Health, leaving 29 active.

On July 29, Washakie County had 0 active cases, less than a week later there were nine cases and in two weeks 33 cases.

According to Washakie County Public Health and the COVID incident management team, several of these cases are linked to adults aged 20-40 attending social events, bars and reunions. Others are believed to be community spread, meaning it was acquired in the community (no recent travel) but cannot be linked to a specific event or person.

Four of the first nine recent cases are linked to a dayhab facility in Worland where two staff members and two clients have tested positive. Of the others who have tested positive after the first initial nine, the team said contact tracing was still underway to determine who is linked to the facility.

Among the 33 cases are two staff members from East Side Elementary, according Washakie County School District No. 1 Business Manager Jack Stott.

One business, Goose’s Liquor, reported on Facebook that an employee had tested positive but was sent home and sanitizing was completed that night on the facility.

The COVID team said contact tracing investigations are underway so they could not state how many other businesses at this time have had an employee test positive.

If a business has an employee test positive the employee is

issued state isolation orders.  They are then contacted and asked who they have been in close contact with less than six feet for greater than 15 minutes and those people are issued quarantine orders, according the COVID team.

If an employee does not comply with this isolation or quarantine order, they may be subject to criminal prosecution under Wyoming Statutes §§ 35-1-105 and -106.

The increase in cases prompted the cancellation of the town hall meeting regarding school re-opening for Washakie County School District No. 1. Grace Lutheran also suspended services last Sunday.

The Washakie County Sheriff’s Office has suspended visitation to the detention center.

The incident team is not considering moving the county off of the current Level 2 health alert status. County facilities, except the detention center, remain open to the public.

Washakie County has a total of 73 confirmed COVID cases, including outbreaks earlier this year.

According to WCPH, there are “many, many more people who are quarantined as a result of having close contact with a positive case.”

This is a rapidly evolving situation, according to a statement from Washakie County Public Health. Washakie County Public Health is working closely with the Wyoming Department of Health to notify individuals who test positive and their close contacts. If you know you are a close contact to someone who has tested positive, WCPH asks that you quarantine yourself from others and monitor for symptoms. Close contact is defined as less than 6 feet for greater than 15 minutes. WCPH noted that the definition of close contact has recently changed from 10 minutes to 15 minutes.

According to WCPH, there is a common misunderstanding in our community that someone can “test” out of quarantine. Recent guidance from the CDC and Wyoming Department of Health recommends people who have been issued quarantine orders receive COVID-19 testing during the course of their 14-day quarantine. However, doing so does NOT exempt someone from remaining in quarantine for the remainder of their 14-day period. A negative test does not insure the person won’t become positive later in their quarantine period.

COVID-19 can be spread up to 48 hours before symptom onset. This is why it is extremely important to stay home at the FIRST signs of illness. If you have symptoms, please call your provider to schedule a COVID-19 test, according to a statement by WCPH.

Disease symptoms may appear 2 to 14 days after virus exposure and include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.

Recommendations meant to slow and limit transmission of the virus include:

•Staying home from work and away from others when ill unless medical care is needed.

•Maintaining physical distancing of 6 feet whenever practical.

•Wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where physical distancing is not reasonable.