Health officials in Sweetwater County encourages public to get vaccine with recent surge in COVID-19 cases

 

Tyler Johnson, [email protected]

SWEETWATER COUNTY, WYOMING (August 9, 2021) – COVID-19 and its variants are still a cause for concern for Sweetwater County health professionals.

According to the state’s transmission indicators, Sweetwater County remains in the orange zone, which is moderate to high transmission levels. From July 22 to Aug. 4, there were 55 cases in the county with a 9% positivity rate.

 

County public health officer Dr. Jean Stachon said the numbers throughout the state are going up. There were 945 active cases from July 22 to Aug. 4. After speaking with Dr. Alexia Harrist, the state health officer and epidemiologist, Stachon said the numbers are heating up again.

Thirty-six cases of the COVID-19 delta variant have been identified in the county.

Stachon said that some counties Wyoming are considering 10-day health orders, adding that current COVID-19 and variant cases are predominately unvaccinated individuals. Sweetwater County is not considering any health orders at this time.

Dr. Cielette Karn, the medical director of Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County’s department of pathology, encourages those who are not vaccinated to get the shot and continue wearing masks.

 

“That’s the thing we can do to help our community and our fellow people,” she said, adding that some of those who are hospitalized are in their 30s and 40s.

Kim White, incident commander for MHSC COVID-19 preparedness, said the hospital has seen an increase in patients over the last four days, receiving seven to eight a day. She said that’s the most the hospital has seen since the start of the pandemic.

MHSC holds a vaccine drive-thru clinic every Wednesday from 3-6 p.m. at main entrance.