Big Horn County: No plans to request mask mandate

GREYBULL (WNE) — While a statewide order could still come from the governor’s desk, members of Big Horn County’s COVID-19 incident management team say they have no intention of requesting a local order that would require people in the county to wear masks.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the state had approved local mask mandate requests from 12 of the state’s 23 counties, including Park and Hot Springs counties in the Big Horn Basin, as well as Teton, Laramie, Albany, Natrona, Sweetwater, Sheridan, Lincoln, Goshen, Sublette and Carbon counties.

According to the Casper Star-Tribune, the state is currently reviewing similar requests from Washakie and Converse counties, which if approved by State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist and Wyoming Attorney General Bridget Hill, would represent approximate

70 percent of the state’s counties.

Members of Big Horn County’s incident management team said in a statement Tuesday afternoon that they’ve “made every effort to remain middle of the road” in their approach to the pandemic and are choosing that same course with respect to a local mask mandate.

“At this time, we are seeing a startling increase in positive COVID-19 cases throughout the state and more specifically in Big Horn County,” the statement read. “At the same time, we are seeing more people choose to wear a face covering in public places, in response to the increased numbers.

“We are encouraged by this response — which is being made as a choice. More of our citizens are choosing to err on the side of caution, and wear a face covering in public spaces. The science supports face coverings as one of the means to slow the spread and flatten the curve.”