COVID-19 daily briefing: May 14, 2020

As of 10 a.m., May 13, 2020 

1. Wyoming: Confirmed cases of COVID-19: 523. Deaths: 7. Recovered: 480. Probable, untested cases: 165. 
2. By county: Fremont County leads the state with 190 confirmed cases, followed by Laramie with 112, Teton with 68, Natrona with 39 and Campbell with 16. Two counties, Platte and Weston, have reported no cases. 
3. Testing: 15,231 tests have been administered and processed, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. 
4. United States: 1,393,890 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Institute. Total deaths: 84,239 — Total recoveries: 243,430.
5. The latest: Wyoming will relax more health restrictions, Gov. Mark Gordon announced Wednesday. The updated public health orders, which will be effective Friday, will permit restaurants to resume indoor table service, increase the number of children allowed in day-care rooms, allow larger gatherings at churches and funeral homes and permit movie theaters to open — all under new distancing and sanitation guidelines. Gordon encouraged employers to continue to allow teleworking when possible, and said he allocated $17 million in federal funding to expand COVID-19 testing, improve contact tracing and add to the state’s supply of personal protective equipment. The state will continue to carefully monitor the continued spread of COVID-19 under the new orders, State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said during a press conference. “We must continue with our thoughtful and measured approach,” Harrist said. “I believe our actions have helped Wyoming by preventing the disease from overwhelming us. Social distancing remains critical.”
6. More news: Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks will partially open for day-use visitors beginning Monday. The Wyoming Law Enforcement Academy — which every police agency in the state relies on to train its ranks — closed its doors in March, leaving officials like Jackson’s police chief short on officers, the Jackson Hole News&Guide reports. In Natrona County, officials are starting to dismantle or postpone several structures put in place to respond to the outbreak, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. The Wyoming Legislature convenes Friday for a special session to decide, in part, how the state will divvy up federal relief funds.

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