The State of Wyoming is gradually easing off its restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19; Park County officials are hoping to move a little bit faster.

On Tuesday, county commissioners and health officials all agreed they would like to try loosening some of the state rules that remain in place — particularly those hindering the number of patrons at bars and restaurants.

“Because we’ve done so well [in Park County], I’d be in complete support of moving faster than the state in our road to getting back to normal,” County Health Officer Dr. Aaron Billin told commissioners at their Tuesday meeting. Park County has had only two confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, while two tests of the City of Cody’s raw sewage have found no traces of the virus (see related story).

In the coming days, county officials hope to survey as many restaurants and bars as possible on which restrictions are hindering their operations and hurting their bottom lines the most. Park County leaders intend to use that data to draft a request for a variance and ask State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist to relax or remove those specific rules.

Health officials, and Harrist in particular, have the ultimate say, but Commissioner Lloyd Thiel has been urging the commission to lobby for a loosening of the restrictions; he spearheaded Tuesday’s discussion.

“We are hampering a lot of our economy, especially small businesses, within Park County … by restricting them in any way shape or form based on the two cases that we’ve really had,” Thiel said.

While he initially agreed with shutting things down to “flatten the curve” and allow medical facilities to prepare for a potential surge in cases, Thiel said the social, economic and mental impacts of the public health restrictions in Park County are now more serious than the virus.

“I’m not saying get rid of every single restriction, but loosen it to the point where they can do business as normal, because we really don’t have a problem right here,” Thiel said, later suggesting only the cap on large gatherings should remain in place. “Could we [have a problem]? Maybe, but I don’t think that what’s happening has proven ... that we need to be where we are right now with restrictions. People can make choices.”

Commissioner Jake Fulkerson expressed some agreement with Thiel. “At some point, it’s up to the individual to manage their own life, too,” he said.

However, Fulkerson and the other county and city officials in the room were more reluctant to ease off the restrictions too rapidly. Dr. Billin suggested it would be best and most effective to try relaxing the specific restrictions that are identified as having “economic impact.” Commissioners have honed in on bars and restaurants because they believe those businesses are being impacted the most by the current health rules.

“I would be a proponent of, rather than throwing the doors wide open, keeping some safeguards in place so that we’re not totally throwing out everything, but make a difference where it makes a difference ... in their ability to make money,” Billin said.

Starting Monday, state health officials will allow up to 50 people to gather in confined spaces without restrictions and allow up to 250 people to gather inside with restrictions (see related story). However, restaurants will continue to face multiple safety regulations through at least the end of the month.

Tables are generally limited to groups of six and must be at least 6 feet apart, staffers who come near customers or other staff must wear face coverings — and wear gloves when touching any food or items that touch food, tables cannot be set until a customer arrives and everything from menus to salt shakers must be sanitized after guests leave their table and, along with various cleaning requirements, no pool or dart leagues, dance or karaoke are allowed.

Billin, who is an ER doctor at Powell Valley Healthcare, noted that public policy decisions involve a constant balancing of risks and benefits. For instance, amid the pandemic, Billin said children are going without their normal vaccinations and he’s seeing people with serious medical problems hesitant to seek care.

“So when the risk of something else becomes greater than the risk of the COVID-19, we have to have this discussion,” he said. “And we have to work within the limits that the state places upon us.”

Billin also made the argument that the county’s restrictions are part of the reason why there have been so few cases here — and he noted that a surge in cases remains possible.

Commission Chairman Joe Tilden also expressed concern about easing off too quickly.

“All of these people from around the United States, since Yellowstone Park is open, they’re coming to Cody, Wyoming — and my feeling is … they’re bringing it [COVID-19] with them,” Tilden said. “And my big fear moving forward, if we do open up prematurely, [we’re] going to find ourselves having to close down everything and put us right back where we were. And that’s going to be more damaging than we could ever imagine.”

Meanwhile, however, commissioners have been hearing from various business owners who say they’re hurting economically from the restrictions. James Andrews, the owner of the Red Zone Bar and Grill and a current candidate for the Powell City Council, has been among those raising concerns with commissioners; he said at a Reopen Wyoming rally in April that the state restrictions — which at that time had shut down all indoor dining — had jeopardized his business.

Commissioner Thiel said restaurants in Powell don’t get the steady stream of tourists like their counterparts in Cody and rely on having a “full house” a couple nights a week; he suggested that Powell leaders should request a specific exception for all of the city’s bars and restaurants, adding that he’d previously suggested the idea and “I don’t think anything happened.”

Mayor John Wetzel said the city considered the idea, but “it didn’t make sense” at that time; the state was on the verge of loosening its restrictions in a way that “was much stronger than the exception that we would have requested,” Wetzel said at Tuesday’s meeting. Powell leaders would consider the idea again, if needed, the mayor said.

However, Billin cautioned that excepting one city from the rules was a “highly politically charged road to go down — to treat communities in the county differently.”

As for his thoughts on a variance, Wetzel said that “we don’t know where we’re headed from here” with COVID-19.

“So I think tearing the cover off is not the greatest idea, but working towards a compromise that allows some sort of economic development to move forward probably makes sense,” the mayor said.

Commissioners plan to discuss a countywide variance at their regular meeting next week, after gathering information from an online survey of restaurants and bars.

For his part, Tilden indicated he would defer to Billin and other public health officials on the best way to open things quickly and carefully.

“I don’t think it’s the board’s decision to tell them how we need to get there,” Tilden said; Commissioner Lee Livingston similarly said he doesn’t expect to suggest a specific number of people that should be allowed in establishments.

However, Billin noted that the health officials are not economic experts and “we need help on that side of the equation.”

Regardless of what action commissioners and health officials take next week, restaurant and bar owners remain free to ask for an exception to the rules for their business at any time; Billin said he will consider all of those requests.

“Individual businesses should pursue their own exception if they’re that concerned,” said Livingston. “Don’t wait.”

Billin noted that he’s received only four requests for exceptions to the public health orders over the last few weeks.

“... we’ve got a lot of people bellyaching about how their head’s being held underwater … when they could have been requesting exceptions all along,” he said.

Starting next week, up to 250 people will be allowed to gather indoors

On Monday, the State of Wyoming will again ease its restrictions on public life.

Gov. Mark Gordon said the updated public health orders will allow up to 50 people to gather in a confined space without restrictions or in a group of 250 people if they practice social distancing and increase sanitation measures. Meanwhile, faith-based gatherings — such as church services and funeral homes — will be allowed to operate without restrictions, though appropriate social distancing is encouraged.

Childcare facilities can also resume normal operations without restrictions on class sizes, and group fitness classes can include 50 participants, while barbers, hairdressers and tattoo artists no longer have to operate by appointment only.

Other changes will permit parades (with appropriate social distancing) and allow K-12 schools, community colleges, the University of Wyoming and other educational institutions to reopen facilities and resume in-person instruction for all students.

“Wyoming has made outstanding progress to date,” Gordon said in a Wednesday statement. “Folks need to remember that it is important to remain vigilant, but because we have been so successful, I am confident we can continue lifting the very few remaining public health restrictions.”

His office said that the data being tracked by the state is also showing improvement. The number of new cases has changed from “concerning” to “stabilizing” and the percent of all tests that are positive is now rated as “improving,” the release said.

The updated public health orders — available for review on the covid19.wyo.gov/governors-orders — are set to run from Monday, June 15, through Tuesday, June 30.