JACKSON, Wyo. — Governor Mark Gordon shared the latest during a video press conference today on his office and what the state is doing about the spread of COVID-19.
Testing resources continue to be a problem for Wyoming, Gordon admitted. The Wyoming Department of Health still urges private healthcare professionals to prioritize test-giving and send only those samples to the state lab that are the most urgent.
Gordon also shared that he has signed a letter requesting disaster declaration which would open up additional federal funds and allow Wyoming access to Army Corp of Engineers for constructions projects if needed.
As far as healthcare, the Equality State appears in good shape so far.
“More than 260 out-of-state physicians and physician assistants have signed up to provide care for Wyoming patients,” Gordon said. “And telehealth is [taking off]. Wyoming went from 500 telehealth licenses to more than 3,000.”
Gordon urged Wyomingites to stick with stay-at-home measures, saying they are working and helping to allow the state to return to normalcy sooner. He cautioned Christians against the temptation to gather in large numbers for Easter.
The governor also asked the Game and Fish Commission to quit selling short-term out-of-state fishing licenses to people online. He also asked, “our neighbors to resist coming to Wyoming for antler collection this spring season.”
Finally, Governor Gordon promised to work with counties who might want to adopt stricter policies concerning stay-at-home orders. He mentioned Teton, specifically, as a county that might want to place stronger restrictions, and said that was okay with him.
“We are happy to work with counties as they see fit to make sure that their needs are well met,” he said.
Gordon then turned the conference over to Robin Cooley, director of Workforce Services, who said the claims unit is predictably overloaded right now but the state was doing all it could to process unemployment claims. She asked for patience, spelled out specific resources available, and announced a new system for those calling in: Last name A-M call on Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays; N-Z on Tuesday and Thursdays.
