Cheyenne Frontier Days CEO Tom Hirsig pauses during a press conference May 27, 2020, inside the Capitol in Cheyenne. Hirsig and several other rodeo leaders joined Gov. Mark Gordon to announce the cancellation of the six largest rodeos in Wyoming due to COVID-19 concerns. (Michael Cummo/Wyoming Tribune Eagle/Wyoming News Exchange)

As of 11 a.m., May 28, 2020 

  1. Wyoming: Confirmed cases of COVID-19: 653. Deaths: 14. Recovered: 624. Probable, untested cases: 207. 
  2. By county: Fremont County leads the state with 225 confirmed cases, followed by Laramie with 122, Teton with 69, Natrona with 58, Washakie with 28 and Campbell and Sweetwater with 17 each. With the confirmation of a case in Weston County on Wednesday, all 23 Wyoming counties have now reported at least one positive case.  
  3. Testing: 22,026 tests have been administered and processed, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. 
  4. United States: 1,702,911 confirmed cases, according to the Johns Hopkins Institute. Total deaths: 100,576 — Total recoveries: 391,508.
  5. The latest: Gov. Mark Gordon and representatives from the state’s major rodeos announced that six of the state’s largest rodeo events have been cancelled for 2020. These include events in Thermopolis, Cody, Casper, Sheridan and Laramie as well as Cheyenne Frontier Days, a 124-year-old institution that bills itself as the largest outdoor rodeo of its kind in the world. Flanked by rodeo representatives in cowboy hats and face masks, a distraught Gordon announced the news. Though there were many meetings brainstorming strategies for continuing the events, Gordon said, in the end those involved could not conjure up a plan that would be safe and economically viable. “The health and safety of our fans, volunteers, contestants and first responders is our primary concern,” Gordon said in a statement. “The financial and emotional impacts are immense. But it’s the right thing to do.” Gordon and State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist also announced updated public health orders that will allow outdoor gatherings of up to 250 people — with social distancing and increased sanitation measures — effective June 1. 
  6. More news: The Department of Health reported a third death Wednesday related to an outbreak at a Washakie County long-term care facility. The deceased was an older woman who tested positive for the virus, the DOH reports. The state continues to open recreational and tourist destinations, with most Wyoming State Historic Sites opening Friday. 

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