CASPER, Wyo. — County health officers across Wyoming discussed the COVID-19 situation during meetings on Oct. 22 and 29.
The county health officers agreed that Wyoming should enact a statewide mask mandate, according to a letter addressed to Governor Mark Gordon on Oct. 31.
“All County Health Officers were united in recommending a statewide mask ordinance with the hope of preventing more death and disease from COVID-19 among our Wyoming citizens,” the letter states.
Laramie County Health Officer Dr. Stan Hartman said in a release sent on Thursday that the county health officers met with Gordon and State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist this morning.
“The conversation was friendly and supportive, although no specific decisions were made about a statewide mask order,” Hartman said. “All of us appreciated the time that the Governor spent visiting with us.
Hartman said the county health officers decided as a group to make the letter public on Thursday in order “to voice our support for the difficult decisions that Governor Gordon has to make.”
The letter notes that each county has a way they could enact mask mandates on an individual basis.
“However, this would take considerably more time and would likely be less consistently achieved,” the letter states. “We feel that a statewide mandate sends a more powerful and effective message in a more timely manner.”
“With the recent dramatic increase in cases and hospitalizations, expedited implementation is paramount. In addition, if we can slow the spread of COVID-19 we can hopefully also prevent another lockdown and speed our economic recovery.”
The letter said that a recent White House Task Force report recommended “increased caution and continued face masks for 10 Wyoming counties. Red zone counties reported were Albany, Big Horn, Campbell, Converse, Goshen, Park and Sublette counties.”
The county health officers add that Wyoming’s COVID-19 numbers have continued to rise and some in the public have ignored their COVID-19 saftey recommendations.
“Education and encouragement alone have not achieved desired outcomes and our health care resources are stressed and deaths in nursing homes have increased,” the letter states.
The county health officers concluded by asking Gordon “to strongly consider adopting an ordinance requiring facemasks similar to the ordinances that Teton and Laramie County have passed and are now being considered elsewhere in the state for the protection of the public good and health of its citizens.”
The following people signed the letter:
- Wyoming Medical Society
- David B. Wheeler, MD, PhD, FAAN, FAES, FAHA
- Wyoming County Health Officers
- Dr. Jean Allais
- Dr. David Fairbanks
- Dr. Kirtikumar Patel
- Dr. Marvin Wayne Couch II
- Dr. James Larson
- Dr. Marion Smith
- Dr. Vernon Miller
- Dr. Mark Schueler
- Dr. Stan Hartman
- Dr. G. Christopher Krell
- Dr. Mark Dowell
- Dr. Aaron Billin
- Dr. Steve Peasley
- Dr. Ian Hunter
- Dr. Brendon Fitzsimmons
- Dr. Jean Stachon
- Dr. Travis Riddle
- Dr. Michael Adams
- Dr. Ed Zimmerman
- Dr. Michael Jording
Sweetwater Now has also reported on the county health officers’ letter and provide a full version of the letter in their story.
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