CASPER, Wyo. — Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon said during a Wednesday, March 18 press conference that people should use delivery, take-out or drive through options when ordering food from local restaurants during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak.
“We should use good judgement, avoid unnecessary travel, keep social gatherings to groups of fewer than 10 people, and use drive-through, pickup or delivery options from our local restaurants,” Gordon said. “These are going to be perhaps the toughest times any of us will see in our lifetimes.”
Casper Mayor Steve Freel took a different perspective. He reiterated comments made during Tuesday’s city council meeting in an phone interview with Oil City on Wednesday.
Freel said that the city isn’t discouraging people from eating at local restaurants. However, restaurants are encouraged to implement social distancing policies and limiting the number of guests they serve at a given time.
He said they may want to consider accepting guests by reservation, but that the city wasn’t specifically encouraging people to exercise delivery or takeout options instead of eating in-person at restaurants.
Freel said that health professionals had been consulted in formulating that position. He said that restaurants should prepare a “plan b” in case the situation worsens.
Since Natrona County has yet to see any confirmed cases of COVID-19, Freel said he thought it was important Casper does what it can to ensure that the local economy runs as routinely as possible.
But since the situation could change, he said that restaurants in particular should be thinking about how they could move to delivery or curbside pickup service-only business models.
What to do if you are feeling sick: In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Casper-Natrona County Health Department says that people who are feeling sick or exhibiting symptoms should contact their primary physician.
If you do not have a primary care provider, and live in Natrona County, please contact the COVID-19 hotline, operated by the Casper-Natrona County Department of Health. The line is open Monday – Friday 8:00 am – 5:00 pm 577-9892. Hotline services are intended for Natrona County residents and may not be able to provide specific information to persons calling from out of county.
Officials ask that you please do not self-report to the Emergency Room. Persons experiencing problems breathing should call 9-11.
For general inquiries and non-symptom related questions about COVID-19, please contact the Casper-Natrona County Health Department via email: covid@cnchd.org
- Practice Social Distancing by putting distance between yourself and other people. This is especially important for people who are at higher risk of getting very sick.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Stay home if you’re sick
- Cover coughs and sneezes. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
- Clean AND disinfect frequently touched surfaces daily. This includes tables, doorknobs, light switches, countertops, handles, desks, phones, keyboards, toilets, faucets, and sinks.
A list of area closures attributed to COVID-19 are available here.
The Wyoming Department of Health provides COVID-19 case, variant, death, testing, hospital and vaccine data online. The department also shares information about how the data can be interpreted. COVID-19 safety recommendations are available from the CDC.
