Park County Incident Management Team: Protect Yourself in Large Gatherings

If you want to avoid COVID-19, avoid large gatherings.

The Park County Incident Management Team released a statement this week regarding the surge and rapid spread of COVID-19 cases in our county. The tone is urgent – we can stop the spread and get a handle on the virus if we consciously act now. You know that means – following social distancing guidelines and wearing a mask when within 6 feet of other people, staying home when you are sick, and washing hands often. Its small, simple stuff that can make all the difference today, tomorrow, and in the months yet to come.

But there’s another point to consider. Most of the positive cases identified so far do have a common link between them – large gatherings. Many of these cases originate with people attending venues such as weddings, retirements and at eating and drinking establishments. This is especially potent given that large numbers of people from Cody and elsewhere will soon be congregating for the plethora of 4^th of July events. If you plan to attend any of all of these festivities, social distancing and personal protection still applies to all individuals and entities.

The Park County Incident Management Team extends their thanks to all the businesses leading the way thru their efforts to protect their staff and patrons, and looks forward to these trends continuing during and after Independence Day. You can read their full statement here:

The number of Covid-19 positive patients is increasing rapidly in Park County. COVID 19 is easily spread when in close contact with others. Close contact is defined by the CDC as being within 6 feet of each other for more than ten to fifteen minutes. By following social distancing guidelines and wearing a mask when within 6 feet of other people, staying home when you are sick, and washing hands often, Park County may be able to slow down the number of people testing positive for Covid-19.

Most of these cases are identified as having been in larger gatherings such as weddings, retirements and at eating and drinking establishments. With the rapid increase of Covid-19 positive patients in Park County, as well as the increase in tourism and upcoming 4^th of July festivities, it is important for Park County businesses and Park County residents to work together to minimize the impact to our community’s health and economy. The Incident Management Team would like to thank the many Park County businesses that are going above and beyond with their efforts to follow the State Public Health Orders by requiring their employees to wear face coverings and practice social distancing, and we encourage all businesses to follow this lead during the critical weeks we face ahead.  Public Health looks forward to working closely with local businesses to insure they are meeting the intent of the Orders.

The current Public Health Orders from Dr. Alexia Harrist, State Public Health Officer, give specific guidance for restaurants and large gatherings. The guidance includes wearing masks when in contact with patrons. This is true for all large events. Per the Public Health Orders, the business owner is responsible to follow the Health Orders by providing masks to staff, insuring frequent handwashing and providing distancing between patrons. The local Park County Public Health office can be contacted for a copy of the current orders or they can be obtained online by going to the Wyoming Department of Health Infectious Disease Epidemiology Unit web page. The Orders are listed on the page as individual links.

If anyone in the community has been to large social gatherings or at eating or drinking establishments since June 18, please monitor for symptoms of Covid-19 (general weakness, cough, sore throat, fever, and loss of smell or taste). Curbside testing for COVID 19 is being done at Powell Valley Healthcare and Cody Urgent Care.