Today In Wyoming's History: March 25, 2020. Staying At Home, Orders and Suggestions.

Today In Wyoming's History: March 25:2020

2020  Governor Gordon suggested Wyomingites stay at home.  The states press release stated:

Governor
Gordon, top officials call for all Wyoming citizens to stay home

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – Governor Mark Gordon issued a plea to Wyomingites to stay home to slow the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic during a press conference today.

“I am here today to urge Wyoming citizens to stay home whenever possible, only going out when absolutely necessary,” Gov. Gordon said. “It is imperative to flatten the curve by staying home.”

The governor emphasized the need for public cooperation in order for Wyoming to make strides in slowing the spread of the virus. Public participation could alleviate the need to implement more stringent measures, he added

“Your voluntary actions and discipline are going to make the difference as to whether we can slow the spread of COVID-19. You can make a difference in Wyoming for you, your family and your neighbors,” Gov. Gordon said. “We must keep our hospital facilities functional, not just for COVID-19 but to help people with regular health emergencies like a stroke or a broken leg.”

Additional sample collection kits developed by the Wyoming Department of Health will be distributed to counties later this week, increasing testing capabilities. As of March 25, there are 44 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in 10 Wyoming counties. More robust testing data is also available on the Department of Health’s website.

“We need to take the Governor’s words seriously,” said Mike Ceballos, Director of the Wyoming Department of Health. “The orders Wyoming has in place are intended to keep people separated so the virus has limited opportunity to spread. It is most important to stay at home as much as possible. If we work together, we will be able to reduce illness and the burden on our health care system.”

Wyoming Secretary of State Ed Buchanan reinforced the state’s essential role in meeting public needs and protecting public safety.

“Wyoming citizens deserve continued public service, and we are working to protect our most vulnerable populations - people who are sick, have disabilities or who are elderly - as well as our employees who are providing those services,” Buchanan said. “My task force will continue to work with local governments and our tribal nations across the state, giving them what they need to serve people and stay safe.”

Wyoming Department of Workforce Services Director Robin Cooley provided an update on the agency's efforts to expand call capacity to meet public demand. The agency is continuing its efforts to streamline unemployment benefit applications. Currently, unemployment claims are being processed within 2 days from the date of filing with no waiting period.

“We stand ready to help businesses and employees,” Director Cooley said. “Employers are still hiring and workers are still looking for jobs.”

First Lady Jennie Gordon has mobilized her Wyoming Hunger Initiative to specifically address challenges created by COVID-19 and help keep Wyoming residents fed. Today, the first lady launched a one-stop-shop for food resources in every county in Wyoming. Further, Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies will be offering mobile food pantry sites starting next week in Worland on March 31, Torrington on April 1, Star Valley on April 2 and Evanston on April 3. More sites will be announced in the coming days.

Gov. Gordon continues to meet regularly with the Wyoming Department of Health and other stakeholders to assess the impacts of COVID-19 on Wyoming’s communities.

Additional guidance for schools districts, state agencies, businesses and public spaces will be updated by the end of the week.

Additional COVID-19 resources are available at the state of Wyoming's COVID-19 website,

In issuing this recommendation, the Governor did not make it an order.  However, by this date, two of Wyoming's neighbors, Colorado and Idaho, had done just that. Colorado's order provided:

CENTENNIAL - Today Gov. Polis announced a statewide stay-at-home order beginning on Thursday, March 26 at 6:00 a.m. and will last until April 11, 2020. The Governor also provided an update on the state’s response to COVID-19 and actions taken to limit the spread of the virus. 

“Coloradans are living through a global pandemic and this decision was made to help save lives,” said Governor Jared Polis. “We will continue doing everything we can to get the resources Colorado needs to address COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of all Coloradans. In true Colorado spirit, we’re seeing our friends, family and neighbors rise to the challenge, donating their time, money or extra supplies to support relief efforts at the state and local levels. We are in this together and this is the season to stay at home to save lives.” 

This executive order means Coloradans should not be leaving their homes except for critical activities including: 

• Obtaining food and other household necessities including medicine
• Going to and from work if you are a critical employee
• Seeking medical care
• Caring for dependents or pets
• Caring for a vulnerable person in another location
• Cannabis and liquor stores will remain open 
• Or participating in outdoor recreation at a legally-mandated safe distance of six feet or more from other parties

Read the full order here. Read the FAQ here. Read the public health order here. Watch the press conference here. 

Colorado continues facing a shortage of resources in addressing this pandemic, which is why the Governor sent a letter to the Trump administration urging the president to declare a Major Disaster for the State of Colorado. A major disaster declaration would free up resources for medical care, housing, unemployment assistance, crisis counseling, hazard mitigation and more. California, Washington and New York have received these declarations. Read the request here. 

While the state is facing a shortage of resources, Coloradans are stepping up to try and fill the gap. More than 7,000 Coloradans have already signed up to volunteer on www.helpcoloradonow.org, nearly 1,300 of which have medical training. The Colorado COVID Relief Fund has also raised more than $7 million since launching late last
week. 

Gov. Polis requested and received dual-status commander authority to ensure unity of command, allowing regular, federal military units to be controlled by a single commander representing the Governor. This will help to eliminate confusion and conflict and allow the state to streamline the utilization of military personnel in this response.

The Governor announced that the state lab has eliminated its backlog and there will be new labs coming online at the University of Colorado, Colorado State University, University Hospital, and Children’s Hospital. The Governor thanked CSU and CU for their willingness to test the personal protective equipment the private sector
is ramping up that the state needs now. 

Governor Polis also provided an update on the federal stimulus package which included $377 billion for small business loans and grants, $1200 in direct cash assistance to Americans based on income
eligibility.

The Governor also provided an update on the Innovation Response Team, introducing two new members: Lucy Sanders and Tim Miller. Lucy is the CEO and a co-founder of the National Center for Women & Information Technology and will head up Isolation Services. The objective is to provide people who are in self-isolation or home
quarantine with critical supplies like food and access to health care, and also ancillary services to make their at-home experience as comfortable as possible. Tim Miller is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Rally Software and will head the Software Development Team.
The objective is to build applications and web sites for both government and citizens to manage all aspects of the crisis, and provide the state with key data. 

The Governor also noted that the Innovation Response Team is working as hard as they can to identify manufacturers and supply chains, but urged the private sector to help in this effort.