Opening based on state guidance

TORRINGTON – As the debate about whether or not Wyoming should “re-open” rages in online forums, the leaders of both Torrington and Goshen County have pledged their support for Governor Mark Gordon’s measures to combat the spread of COVID-19, while carefully altering his three public health orders that closed bars, restaurant dining rooms, barber shops, cosmeticians and other public gathering places.
Torrington and Goshen County leadership said as much during meetings last week, and again in a press release issued by Goshen County Public Health on Monday, the day before Gordon unveiled his newest set of orders.
In the press release, the GCPH, health officer Marion Smith, Goshen County Emergency Manager Shelly Kirchhefer, Torrington Emergency Manager Chuck Kenyon and other local officials presented a united front on following the governor’s plans to move forward.
“The Goshen County Public Health Officials, Health Officer, Emergency Manager and local officials will continue to follow the Governors Order through April 30, 2020. Plans are currently being made in taking the steps to move Wyoming and the local communities into the next phase,” the release said. “Decisions will be made upon current public health conditions based on county-level data. The goal is to allow flexibility based on objective data, including the state of the outbreak, hospital capacity and testing capacity.”
Torrington Mayor Randy Adams said as much during last week’s Torrington City Council meeting, which was held via Zoom and broadcast on a local radio station.
“The fact that we haven’t recorded any new cases in a few weeks shows that our people are doing a great job protecting themselves,” he said. “It’s making a difference. All three cases have recovered.”

“Your city officials are participating in daily webinars and conferences, and discussions at the state and local levels regarding COVID-19. At this point, the orders delivered by Governor Mark Gordon, State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist, County Health Official Marion Smith, Heather Saul and Kelly Beard with Goshen County Public Health, county and city emergency management personnel – that will be the guidelines that the city of Torrington and the rest of the local governments follow.”
During the Goshen County Board of Commissioners meeting last Tuesday, Chairman John Ellis said the county is going to re-open at some point, but every precaution will be taken to make sure it’s done safely.
“We’re going to be real careful about what we do,” Ellis said. “We’re not going to get in a big hurry. If it still needs to be closed, we will keep it closed.”
“When we do decide to open, I want to visit with all of you of you folks and I’m sure Pinky and Cody want to, too, to see what we think is best, and what is best for the people in the courthouse and the people coming into the courthouse,” Ellis said.
Gordon and Harrist unveiled the state’s plan to re-open sectors of the economy last week. Officials will consider six metrics when it comes to deciding whether or not to reopen an area or business - new cases, percent of cases by community spread, percent of all tests that are positive, COVID hospital admissions, total hospital bed availability, and total intensive care unit availability. The metrics will be graded concerning, stabilizing or improving.
All along, Gordon has maintained that the state’s plan to re-open will be data-driven other than date-driven, and the metrics reflect that.
“Our transition plan seeks to ease some of the restrictions, while continuing to protect the public health,” Gordon said. “I’ve said before, this will not be a light switch. We are building a plane as we are flying it, and with your help, and I stress with your help, we’ll keep it in the air.”
Gordon, who said last week the state’s approach will be data-driven and not date-driven, emphasized that the state will make methodical moves in the interest of the economy and public health.
“We will be taking very slow, incremental and thoughtful steps on how to ease these restrictions in Wyoming,” he said.
In the press release, local officials also pledged to make data-based decisions in the interest of public health – even if it means taking a step back at some point.
“Our priority is to gradually move forward in reopening businesses while protecting the health and safety of our community members,” the release said. “If data shows an incline of positive COVID-19 cases during a phase then the decision may be made not to move forward but to go back to the prior phase.