For the first time in more than one month, the number of active coronavirus cases in Wyoming declined Wednesday, according to Department of Health figures.
However, the normal reporting period of 24 hours was shortened by the Veterans Day holiday.
The department, in its daily coronavirus update, said 76 new laboratory-confirmed cases were reported between 3 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. Wednesday, the first time since Oct. 6 the number of new confirmed cases in one day fell below 100.
While the department generally makes its weekday reports at 3 p.m., the reporting time is set at 9 a.m. on holidays and weekends, reducing the reporting period from Tuesday to Wednesday to 18 hours from 24.
During the same period, the state said it received 136 new reports of recoveries. When combined with 56 new probable cases, the state was left with 8,013 active cases, a decline of four from Tuesday. The drop marks the first time since Oct. 6 the number of active cases has fallen from one day to the next.
As of Wednesday, Natrona County had 1,440 active cases; Albany County had 1,258; Laramie County had 1,252; Campbell County had 960; Fremont had 565; Park had 381; Sheridan had 299; Sweetwater had 249; Goshen had 195; Weston had 180; Uinta had 172; Lincoln had 166; Platte had 156; Teton had 149; Carbon had 106; Converse had 103; Crook had 85; Johnson had 78; Big Horn had 67; Washakie had 64; Sublette had 44; Niobrara had 27, and Hot Springs had 17.
Active cases are determined by adding the total confirmed and probable coronavirus cases diagnosed since the illness first surfaced in Wyoming on March 12, subtracting the number of recoveries during the same period among patients with both confirmed and probable cases and taking into account the number of deaths attributed to the illness.
New laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in 16 counties. Sweetwater County had the highest number of new cases at 18.
The new cases brought the total of confirmed cases seen since the first coronavirus case was detected in Wyoming in mid-March to 16,518.
The number of probable cases increased by 56 Wednesday to total 2,856 since the pandemic began.
The growth in reported recoveries of 136 meant of the 19,374 people in Wyoming with confirmed or probable coronavirus cases, 11,234 have recovered since mid-March.
