As of 10 a.m., May 18, 2020
- Wyoming: Confirmed cases of COVID-19: 566. Deaths: 8. Recovered: 498. Probable, untested cases: 188.
- By county: Fremont County leads the state with 202 confirmed cases, followed by Laramie with 119, Teton with 69, Natrona with 43 and Campbell and Sweetwater with 16. Two counties, Platte and Weston, have reported no cases.
- Testing: 16,897 tests have been administered and processed, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.
- United States: 1,487,447 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Institute. Total deaths: 89,567 — Total recoveries: 272,265.
- The latest: An eighth Wyoming resident has died due to COVID-19. The Wyoming Department of Health identified the patient as an older Fremont County woman who was hospitalized and who had health conditions that put her at higher risk of the virus’s effects. The Northern Arapaho Tribe confirmed Saturday the woman was a tribal member. Five of the eight state residents who have died due to the virus, 63%, have been tribal members from the Wind River Indian Reservation. According to the latest census data, Native Americans comprise 2.7% of Wyoming’s population. The Wind River Inter-tribal Council in early May extended the stay-at-home order first enacted in April, even as the rest of the state began easing restrictions. “The [Northern Arapaho Business Council] is committed to its continued actions to help fight against this pandemic,” the tribe said in a Saturday Facebook post. “It is imperative we work together to protect ourselves and others.” The NABC also announced Saturday it has secured $19 million from the CARES Act to respond to the pandemic, County10 reports.
- More news: Several cases have been confirmed among residents and staff at a long-term care facility in Washakie County, according to the DOH. Five staff members and four residents at the Worland Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center have tested positive so far, the health department reports. More results are pending. Protecting older residents of long-term facilities is the department’s top priority through the pandemic, State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said in a press release. Current nursing home guidelines strictly limit visitors or non-essential healthcare personnel. “We believe this policy has been helpful in Wyoming over the last couple of months, but the risk of potential exposure through staff and patients still exists,” Harrist said.