COVID-19 daily briefing: May 22, 2020

As of 10 a.m., May 22, 2020 

1. Wyoming: Confirmed cases of COVID-19: 608. Deaths: 12. Recovered: 546. Probable, untested cases: 193. 
2. By county: Fremont County leads the state with 213 confirmed cases, followed by Laramie with 121, Teton with 69, Natrona with 54 and Campbell and Sweetwater with 17. Platte County registered its first confirmed case Thursday, which leaves Weston as the only Wyoming county with no reported cases. 
3. Testing: 18,649 tests have been administered and processed, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. 
4. United States: 1,577,758 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Institute. Total deaths: 94,729 — Total recoveries: 298,418.
5. The latest: A Washakie County man who was a resident of a long-term care facility became the state’s 12th COVID-related fatality Thursday, the Department of Health announced. The older man had previously tested positive for the virus and lived in a facility where the DOH identified an outbreak. Five staff members and six residents there have tested positive so far. The news comes a day after the state announced a new targeted program to monitor and curtail the spread of the virus at Wyoming long-term care facilities such as retirement homes and assisted-living facilities. It also came as a case was confirmed at a long-term care facility in Casper — prompting officials to announce they will test and quarantine some 265 staff members and residents there, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. 
6. More news: Gov. Mark Gordon on Wednesday signed three bills authorizing him to distribute federal coronavirus relief and set up programs to aid state businesses, landlords and renters. The bills were approved by the Legislature during its special session May 15-16. Staff members and children at a Casper daycare are being tested for COVID-19 after a child who attends tested positive for the virus, the Casper Star-Tribune reports. Gov. Gordon ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff through Monday to honor both the outbreak’s victims and to commemorate Memorial Day. 

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