Public health and law enforcement officials are fed up with some people and businesses that have been disregarding mask orders, and they say theyâre ready to start ticketing those who canât follow the rules.
âUp to this point, law enforcement has addressed the violations on a case-by-case basis,â Jackson Chief of Police Michelle Weber said at a recent COVID-19 community update meeting. âAnd weâve used the opportunity to educate businesses, and in some circumstances customers, on the public health order.
âBecause we are not getting the compliance with some businesses in particular ⦠we are now considering issuing citations to those establishments who continue to refuse to comply with those public health orders that are in place.â
Sublette and Lincoln counties would like you to stop calling them.
Teton County residents have been calling the neighboring locales to see if they have extra COVID-19 vaccine doses. Turns out, they donât, Director of Health Jodie Pond told county commissioners at their Monday voucher meeting.
âThey only receive about 100 doses a week for their community, so they have no extra for Teton County,â she said.
Limited supply and a rigid phasing of vaccine distribution have made for a slow rollout, leading some to take matters into their own hands. Wyoming Department of Health spokeswoman Kim Deti said her agency has âanecdotallyâ heard that people are traveling across Wyoming searching out counties with extra doses.
Teton County contracts outside help for COVID-19 contact tracing
JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI)-The Teton County, Wyoming Health Department has contracted service through the Wyoming Department of Health to assist with contact tracing service for COVID-19 cases.
In the past two weeks, case loads have overwhelmed the County’s Case Investigation and Contract Tracing Team.
Teton County Health Director, Jodie Pond, MPH stated, “We are grateful for the assistance and support from the Wyoming Department of Health on this effort. Timely notification to cases and their close contacts is an important tool to stopping the spread of COVID-19. When there are multiple day delays in notifying cases, it creates further delays in the process such as notifying close contacts.”
Amid the hustle and bustle of a Tuesday morning vaccination clinic in late December, Tom Ferris, a 25-year veteran of Jackson Hole Mountain Resortâs ski patrol, became one of the first few thousand people in Teton County to get a vaccine against COVID-19.
âI know I speak for all of us: We feel fortunate to be on the list,â the 61-year-old said shortly after getting his first jab. âIâm just hopeful that it becomes available for everybody soon.â
This week and next, ski patrollers and Teton County Search and Rescue volunteers who accepted their first vaccine dose are getting their booster shot. Thatâs intended to augment the immune response the first dose created, bringing inoculations up to full efficacy.