This graph shows the number of coronavirus cases confirmed each day since the virus was first diagnosed in Wyoming on March 12. (Wyoming News Exchange)

As of 3 p.m., June 5, 2020 

  1. Wyoming: Confirmed cases of COVID-19: 721. Deaths: 17. Recovered, lab-confirmed cases: 575. Probable, untested cases: 212. 
  2. By county: Fremont County leads the state with 257 confirmed cases, followed by Laramie with 122, Teton with 69, Natrona with 68, Washakie with 34 and Albany and Sweetwater with 24 each. All 23 Wyoming counties have now reported at least one positive case.  
  3. Testing: 27,400 tests have been administered and processed, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. 
  4. United States: 1,885,197 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Institute. Total deaths: 108,708 — Total recoveries: 485,002.
  5. The latest: Gov. Mark Gordon on Thursday warned of massive budget cuts on the horizon as a result of plummeting mineral revenues and the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. Gordon has instructed state agencies to immediately begin reducing spending, and told them to prepare to make budget cuts of 20%, he said during a press conference. The state has also frozen hiring and begun limiting large contracts. “We are in uncharted territory,” Gordon said, calling it “the largest loss of income in our history.” On Friday, his office announced that the Wyoming Department of Transportation will close 10 rest areas through the state as a way to reduce costs. 
  6. More News: The Northern Arapaho Tribe has received more than $19 million in federal funds to help mitigate the effects of the outbreak, Northern Arapaho Business Council Chairman Lee Spoonhunter announced Friday. The tribe will distribute individual checks of $500 to enrolled tribal members to assist with personal costs like utilities and housing, Spoonhunter said. It will also use the funding for safety improvements to senior centers, meal delivery vans, aid to students who have technology needs and assistance to help construct a small meat-packing plant. Some $1 million will be funneled to Wind River Family & Community Health Care clinic to acquire a facility to isolate and treat patients, among other projects. “The relief funding will … help cushion the COVID-19 impacts being felt by our tribe and its members, but we recognize challenges remain,” Spoonhunter said. He also relayed a message from Dr. Paul Ebbert, the chief medical officer of the clinic, who reported the virus continues to spread on the reservation. Between May 25 and June 1, Ebbert wrote, “we had more than 30 new cases in tribal members.” He urged continued compliance with safety guidelines. “Much of the current spread of the COVID-19 virus is being done by community members who drink and share bottles, cigarettes, then return to their homes,” his message read. “To protect our elders and your family members, please try to avoid these behaviors.”

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