It’s in Cody.

This morning, Park County Public Health Officer Dr. Aaron Billin confirmed that a third Cody man has tested positive for COVID-19 at Powell Valley Healthcare. This means there are now 3 active COVID-19 cases in Cody, and two more active cases in Powell – 5 active cases in Park County as of this morning. None of the infected individuals are hospitalized, and all are currently at their homes in self quarantine. As of Sunday morning, Big Horn and Hot Springs counties each had nine confirmed cases and Washakie County has 34 confirmed cases. There have been 3 COVID-19-related deaths in the Big Horn Basin.

While this was inevitable and anticipated since the pandemic hit, this is the first indisputable evidence that the virus has reached us in Cody. It increases the need for Cody residents to continue the social distancing and other simple practices to ensure the community’s safety. The wearing of face masks in public has proven to be a simple yet effective measure everyone can take to ensure they are not spreading the respiratory droplets that are the primary means of transmission.

Park County remains a mostly sheltered place, and our infection rate has been significantly lower than other, similar areas. But we remain a tourist hotspot, placing us in an increasingly vulnerable position. So, it boils down to the steps we take, as individuals and a community, to keep Cody safe from COVID-19.