COVID-19 cases on the rise in HSC

COVID-19 cases are increasing in Wyoming and Hot Springs County, with the predominate strain being the Omicron variant, according to Hot Springs County Nurse Manager Tricia McPhie.

Hot Springs County case data can be found here: https://sites.google.com/wyo.gov/covid-19/home. This dashboard is updated by the Wyoming Department of health daily M-F.  As of January 24, Hot Springs County had 17 new lab confirmed and probable (ex: rapid antigen tests) cases since the last update of January 21. There have been 71 lab confirmed and probable cases in the past 14 days. 

Moderna and Pfizer vaccines (including Pfizer for kids ages 5-11 year-olds) are available at the Public Health offices every Thursday during business hours. People may call ahead to minimize their wait time or walk-ins are also welcome. Booster doses for Moderna and Pfizer may now be given 5 months rather than 6 months after the second dose of a primary series. Individuals aged 12-17 years are also eligible for a Pfizer booster dose 5 months after completion of the primary Pfizer series. For more information, call Hot Springs County Public Health at 307-864-3311.

Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccinations are offered at Vicklund Pharmacy, 307-864-2369. Individuals aged 18+ who have received Janssen can receive a booster dose of Pfizer, Moderna or Janssen 2 months after the primary Janssen dose. 

Additional doses are available for moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals aged 5 yrs and older. The definition for moderate to serve immunocompromising conditions and treatments can be found at:  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/recommendations/immuno.html.  If individuals have questions, they can also contact the Public Health office to help determine eligibility. 

County vaccination data can be found here: https://health.wyo.gov/publichealth/immunization/wyoming-covid-19-vaccine-information/covid-19-vaccine-distribution-data/. As of January 24, Hot Springs County is ranked 3rd in the state for the percent of population fully vaccinated. 49.13% of the entire population of HSC is considered fully vaccinated. 80.67% of HSC seniors (65+ older) and 59.33% of adults (18-64) are fully vaccinated. 

Wyoming reported 1,875 COVID-19 cases on Friday, breaking the state’s single-day record. The previous record occurred on Wednesday, when the state recorded 1,592 laboratory-confirmed and probable cases. 

Given omicron’s spread, Wyoming is likely to break additional records in the days and weeks ahead, said Wyoming Department of Health spokeswoman Kim Deti.