Wyoming coronavirus cases up by three

The daily increase in confirmed coronavirus cases in Wyoming on Tuesday was at the lowest level seen since mid-April, according to Department of Health figures.

The department, in its daily coronavirus update, said three new cases were detected in two counties on Tuesday, the lowest daily number posted since April 22.

As of Tuesday afternoon, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Wyoming stood at 513, with the highest number, 182, found in Fremont County.

Laramie County had 111 cases; Teton County had 67 cases; Natrona County had 38; Campbell had 17; Converse had 14; Sweetwater had 13; Sheridan had 12; Johnson had 11; Albany and Lincoln had eight; Uinta had seven; Carbon, Crook and Washakie had 5; Goshen had four and Big Horn had two. Hot Springs, Niobrara, Park and Sublette counties had one case each.

Platte and Weston counties remain free of any confirmed cases.

Recoveries among patients with both confirmed and probable coronavirus cases increased by 26 on Tuesday to total 477. That number includes 343 recoveries among those with laboratory-confirmed cases and 134 among those with probable cases. A probable case is defined as one where a person has symptoms of the illness and has been in contact with someone who has a confirmed case of the disease, but had not been tested for coronavirus.

In addition to Wyoming’s 513 confirmed cases, the Health Department said there are 162 probable cases.

In other developments:

Promising drug: Wyoming has received 200 vials of Remdesivir, an experimental drug that has shown some promise in treating the symptoms of coronavirus. The Wyoming Health Department said the amount is sufficient to treat 18 to 33 patients depending on the dosage. The Health Department said hospitals and health care providers can ask for some of the drug to treat specific patients who are seriously ill.

Fly-over: The Wyoming Air National Guard plans to fly an aerial salute to all the health care professionals working to care for those with coronavirus. The National Guard said that on Friday, it will fly two of its C-130s over the skies of each of the state’s hospitals, with the trip ending in Cheyenne. “We salute all those, both around the state of Wyoming and across the nation, who have sacrificed so much to serve on the front lines of this pandemic,” said Col. Justin Walrath, the 153rd Airlift Wing commander and pilot for the Air National Guard.

Readjustment: A new confirmed coronavirus case reported in Campbell County will probably be reassigned to Colorado, according to a county official. The state Health Department reported as of Tuesday that Campbell County had 17 cases, but county spokeswoman Ivy McGowan said that number includes one patient who actually lives in Colorado. “So the case will be reassigned to the appropriate community,” she said.

Graduation on: Platte County, one of only two counties in the state unaffected by the coronavirus, will proceed with its plans for in-person graduation ceremonies for its high school seniors. Platte County School District No. 1 officials reported that graduation ceremonies for seniors in Glendo, Wheatland and Chugwater will be held as planned this weekend at outdoor school facilities. Some rules will be in place in deference to coronavirus concerns, including one requiring everyone attending the ceremonies to wear a face mask.

Testing cost: Jackson’s plan to have some of the waste from its wastewater treatment plant tested for coronavirus has encountered complications. The town has been sending samples to a company called Biobot Analytics in hopes the testing could reveal the prevalence of the coronavirus in the community. The samples so far have cost $100 each to process, but Jackson officials said they have been told the price will rise to $1,200 per test in June. “That may make this project difficult to fit within our health department budget,” said Dr. Travis Riddell, Teton County’s health officer.

Graduation parade: Graduating seniors in Douglas were saluted with a parade in their honor on May 10. As graduating seniors lined the Douglas Raceway, friends and family members paraded past in brightly decorated cars. Original plans had called for the students to drive their vehicles around the race track, but after speaking with Douglas police, school officials decided to reverse the arrangement and have the seniors stay in one place while family and friends paraded past.