The deaths of two Wyoming residents in Colorado in April and March are being added to the total number of people whose deaths have been linked to the disease in the state.
The Wyoming Department of Health announced that an older woman from Carbon County and an older man from Laramie County were both living in Colorado facilities at the time of their deaths.
The woman, who died in April, suffered from other health problems that put her at high risk of complications from coronavirus, the department said. Officials were not sure if the man, who died in March, had pre-existing health conditions.
Guy Beaudoin, deputy state register with the Wyoming Department of Health, said when a Wyoming resident dies in another state from such a disease, it is typical to report those deaths based on the person’s permanent residence. He added delays in receiving such information are not unusual.
Beaudoin stressed that coronavirus was a cause of or contributing factor in both deaths.
“In Wyoming, we have instructed medical certifiers such as attending physicians and coroners that COVID-19 should only be reported on death certificates when the disease caused or contributed to a person’s death,” he said. “So if someone who happens to be positive for COVID-19 died due to an automobile accident, their passing would not be counted as a coronavirus-related death.”
Gov. Mark Gordon said the deaths, along with death last week of a Northern Arapho woman, show that coronavirus remains a serious concern for the state.
“I want to urge all Wyoming residents to continue taking the necessary steps to minimize the spread of this virus,” he said.
