Having the highest number of active coronavirus cases in the state is discouraging for Uinta County health officials, but they said they are hopeful the county’s outbreak is tapering off.
In a Facebook post, the Uinta County Public Health Department is seeing promising signs despite having 86 active cases.
“While that is still a little discouraging, we are relieved to report that we have only had 1 new case reported for the last 2 days,” the post said. “Hopefully that is an indication that things are slowing down a little, but we also recognize that that may in part be due to less testing over the weekend.”
Currently, Uinta County has 128 lab-confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Thursday, as well as 34 probable cases.
The department’s post said that as of Tuesday, the county has had six hospitalizations, with four currently admitted. Some of the patients admitted have been residents, but others are from outside the state.
“One of the concerns with spiking high and fast is the pressure it puts on healthcare capacity,” the post said. “While we haven’t exceeded our capacity, the county is feeling the pressure and strain from a lot of cases in a short time.”
The post also described Uinta County as a cautionary tale for Wyoming and neighboring states.
“Much of what we (and others) are all learning from our experience is that the virus can spread quickly and relatively easily, the situation can change rapidly, our actions can affect others, precautionary measures work, and no one is insulated. Hopefully, we can also show how well a community comes together and brings it under control,” the post said.
The county has seen a spike in coronavirus cases over the last month, some of which stemmed from a “celebratory” gathering involving young people in Evanston.
Uinta County Public Health Officer Dr. Michael Adams was unavailable for comment when contacted by Cowboy State Daily.
