Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon said the state will begin easing some COVID-19-related restrictions this week, but warned other measures will remain in place.

“We need to slowly relax these restrictions and get ourselves ready for the new normal of business in 2020,” the governor said at an April 23 news conference. Gordon said the state is working to both protect public safety and to allow people to get back to work; more details are expected at a news conference set for 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Gordon said last week that a new set of public health orders will be issued in the coming days and run through May 15 “with easing of restrictions on certain business.”

While the orders have yet to be finalized, barber shops, salons and gyms will likely be allowed to reopen “with operational modifications necessary to protect customers and employees,” Gordon said. Personal service businesses like salons and barber shops have been closed since March 25; gyms are among the public spaces that have been shut down since March 19.

As for bars and restaurants — which are currently limited to curbside service — Gordon said state officials “are continuing to refine our plans to address these types of businesses.”

Meanwhile, Wyoming’s public schools will continue to operate under their remote learning plans, generally keeping their doors closed to students, “until there’s further news, perhaps after May 15 or perhaps not,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow. For its part, the Powell school district announced Friday that it would remain physically closed for the rest of the school year.

Balow did encourage schools to consider opening up buildings for limited in-person instruction — namely, for students with special needs and career and technical education — with proper social distancing, hygiene and enhanced sanitation.

Whether it's in the spring, summer or fall, “all of us should recognize that reopening schools to students does not mean going back to normal,” Balow added. “There will be new and enhanced protocols for health and safety and precautions to be taken.”

The state’s forthcoming health orders will allow county health officers to request exemptions, Gordon indicated.

“This may mean that some counties will have different restrictions based on what’s happening with objective data in each county,” he said.

State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said she expects “to allow some activities to resume that offer the least risk to our health of communities, first,” but “I would also expect to see some of the restrictions in the orders extended.”

“I realize that many people are weary of this pandemic and the toll it’s taken on our lives. I want you to know that I do understand,” Harrist said in her opening remarks at the news conference. “But at the same time, I have to be honest and remind everyone that it’s not over yet — and it’s not going to be over when our current orders expire on April 30.”

Frustration has been mounting in Wyoming and across the country as the restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of the new coronavirus have continued into a second month. Multiple rallies were held around the state on Friday calling on the governor to “reopen Wyoming,” including an event in Cody.

Gordon said the state will look at various data to guide loosening the restrictions, including six specific metrics: new cases of COVID-19, the percentage of cases attributed to “community spread,” the percent of tests that come back positive, the number of COVID-19-related hospitalizations, the number of available hospital beds and the number of available ICU beds.

As of Thursday, the state said that the numbers related to community spread and total COVID-19-related hospital admissions ranked as “concerning” — the most severe level on the state’s “dashboard” — while the other four categories were at the mid-level of “stabilizing.” The state listed no areas as “improving.”

The documents warns that, “if metric change, restrictions might remain in place or even tighten.”

Wyoming had 389 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 131 probable cases with 343 documented recoveries and seven deaths attributed to the disease as of Monday. That made for 170 confirmed or probable active cases in the state, up from 145 on Friday. Park County has had just one confirmed case — back in mid-March — and that woman has since made a full recovery.

If the state doesn’t make thoughtful choices, Harrist said that “we face a very real risk of a much worse situation in Wyoming.”

COVID-19 produces mild or moderate symptoms in most infected people — and poses the greatest risk to the elderly and people with other health problems — “but the truth is anyone can get sick from COVID-19 anyone has chance of serious illness and anyone who is infected can pass COVID-19 on to others,” Harrist said.

Health officials continue to urge Wyomingites to practice social distancing and good hygiene, along with wearing face coverings while in public.

In addition to noting how “insidious” the disease can be, Gov. Gordon referenced how rapidly the situation is changing with the pandemic.

“We’re building a plane while we are flying it,” he said. “And with your help — and I stress this, with your help — we’ll keep it in the air.”