All US States Report At Least 1 Coronavirus Death; Wyoming Reports First Death

Following the death of a Wyoming coronavirus patient, all 50 states in the U.S. now have recorded at least one fatality related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When Hawaii reported its first coronavirus-related death on March 31, Wyoming was left as the only state without a fatality but, after nearly two weeks, the Cowboy State reported the death of a "older man", therefore, all 50 states in the U.S. have at least one coronavirus casualty.

CNN reported that Wyoming had reported 275 confirmed and 98 probable cases through Monday.

Wyoming is the country's least populated state with about a 578,000 population in 2019 and was also one of the eight states that has not issued a stay-at-home or shelter-in-place order, along with Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah.

In a report by Star Tribune, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon received advise from the Wyoming Medical Society in the form of a letter urging him to issue a shelter-in-place order “before it’s too late”.

In his full statement as transcribed in a Buckrail article, Gordon declared his faith in his constituents and their initiative and encouraged them to be responsible in their actions amid the pandemic.

He also emphasized to Wyoming residents the importance of observing good hygiene practices thoroughly, social distancing, and all measures prescribed by authorities to flatten the curve.

"Wyoming is not immune," he said in an excerpt of his speech. "As governor, I, like other governors around the country, have taken extraordinary steps aimed at protecting the health of Wyoming citizens. I have not put these orders in place casually. I have considered each order carefully, weighing their health benefits carefully and their economic impacts fully. All have been absolutely necessary, recommended by Wyoming’s state epidemiologist Dr. Alexia Harrist, and supported by Wyoming’s medical community. Every order has been designed to slow the spread, flatten the curve, of this exceptionally contagious virus. I have acted to save lives; your lives."

He ended his message with this statement: "So steadfast is my faith in you, the Wyoming people, to do the right thing, that I have not issued a statewide “shelter in place” order. You already know how important it is to take responsibility for your actions. Do the right thing, do it the right way and do it right away! We can beat this virus, we can protect our people, save our health care system from collapse, help business to survive and rebound after this crisis is over, help our workers and reemerge a stronger Wyoming."

According to USA Today, although Wyoming didn't issue a stay-at-home mandate, Governor Mark Gordon has "prohibited gatherings of 10 or more people and closed schools and many businesses until April 30".

In the same report, the Wyoming man, a Johnson County resident, had tested positive for the virus before he died last week, and his cause of death was confirmed on Monday, health department spokeswoman Kim Delti said.

According to the Wyoming Department of Health, “he had health conditions that put him at a higher risk”.

"I am saddened to learn that we have lost our first Wyoming citizen to Covid-19," Gov. Mark Gordon said in a statement. "This one was close to home and sadly serves as a grim reminder of the importance of following public health orders and guidance so we can reduce the number of serious illnesses and deaths in our state."