COVID-19 cases in Park County are dropping but the virus is still wreaking havoc on Wyoming, even reaching the steps of the Governor’s Office.
Dr. Aaron Billin, Park County Public Health Officer, had some good news for Cody residents. In a Nov. 27 Facebook update, he posted that Park County has dropped from 21st out of Wyoming’s 23 counties for daily new cases of COVID, per capita.
As of Friday, there were 43 active cases in Cody and 53 in Powell with a grand total of 117 for the entire county. That brings the total number of confirmed cases since March to 1,304.
This is – overall – good news for Cody, Powell, and the entirety of Park County but small comfort for the state. Wyoming is currently undergoing a surge of new cases and deaths. There have been 28,252 laboratory-confirmed cases of COVID and 215 COVID-related deaths so far.
Park County has seen a total of six deaths – four in Powell and one each in Cody and Meeteetse.
Despite these changes, certain residents are unhappy with how the county and the state are handling the pandemic. The Park County Republican Party submitted a resolution to the Park County Commissioners last week, demanding either they or Dr. Billin immediately rescind the county’s mask mandate. They call it “unconstitutional” and an infringement on the rights of free Wyomingites.
Park County’s mask mandate remains in effect until this Friday, Dec. 4. There’s no word on whether it will be extended or rescinded at that time.
Dr. Billin acknowledges the highs and lows of the pandemic in Park County, highlighting a promising study published in the medical journal Cell. Researchers in this study observed that patients who recover from mild cases of COVID-19 make antibodies and developed cell-mediated immunity that neutralizes the virus and prevents reinfection. These antibodies can last up to three months.
However, nobody should rest on their laurels. Billin and health professionals across Wyoming, the nation, and the globe still strongly encourage everyone to wear masks and take the necessary precautions for themselves and others.
COVID-19 has even reached the highest office in the state: Governor Mark Gordon’s office released a statement confirming his COVID-19 diagnosis on the evening of Nov. 25. The governor himself learned he tested positive that morning.
As of Sunday evening, there have been no updates on the governor’s condition.
There are three other governors who have also tested positive since the pandemic began: Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, Missouri Governor Mike Parson, and Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt.
