23 cases in Sublette County confirmed.
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Signs requiring facemasks are now posted on
the three entrances to Ridley’s Grocery Store in Pinedale – for the
Outfitter Liquor Store, Ace Hardware and the grocery store itself.
“We’re following the recommendations of the National Retailers
Association,” Manager Tim Elkington said of all the regional Ridley’s
stores.
Since the pandemic began, Ridley’s store managers such as
Elkington have calculated how many people fit in with 6 feet of social
distancing, set up plexi panels for cashiers and installed arrows so
customers can shop in the same direction without crisscrossing.
Now store managers hope to add a stronger recommendation to
wearing facemasks while shopping with the signs posted that ask
customers to wear or buy a mask.
“Face coverings required. Please wear one while shopping with us.
Face coverings available for purchase here. Feel free to wear now and
pay when you leave,” the new signs say.
With some frustration, Elkington said Ridley’s “can’t force
anybody to wear them.” In fact, the employees are required to wear
them.
On Tuesday, a number of Ridley’s employees including a cashier
were not wearing masks while Elkington was gone.
“I get after my employees,” he said. “But I took a day off.”
As for customers, Elkington said there are no laws that allow stores
to actually require customers wear facemasks or coverings. “And I’m
not going to have cops out there writing tickets…”
He’s heard “horror stories” of people pulling guns on other
business’s employees because the people do not want to wear a face
covering.
“It’s a choice, to be respectful of others or follow your own
personal beliefs. If they say, ‘no, I don’t want one,’ there are no laws
in place.”
Thousands more people from other states are coming through
Pinedale on their way to Jackson, he noted.
“It’s still a freedom of choice,” Elkington said. “All I can do is
strongly recommend it, encourage it when
they come inside. There’s nothing you can
do.” Facemasks are sold at the No. 1 and 6
registers and back in the general merchandise
area, he said. On Wednesday shortly after
noon, The Roundup’s informal count of 36
customers revealed 21 wore masks and 15
did not.
County COVID statistics
As of Thursday, July 30, Sublette County
now has 23 confirmed cases, eight probable
cases, 20 people in isolation and 14 active
cases – one reporting a recurrence of the
illness, according to the COVID Response
Group.
Earlier most of a work crew tested
positive with one man flown to an out-ofstate
hospital, according to Sublette County
Public Health. On Monday, July 27, three
new cases were confirmed – a minor with no
known source of exposure and two people in
their 50s related to positive cases announced
two weeks ago. Two new probable cases
are linked to a close household contact. All
were isolating and recovering from home,
according to Public Health.
State COVID
Gov. Mark Gordon spoke at a July 28
press conference, saying that day brought 68
lab-confirmed cases statewide, the most for
one day, with the highest growth rate in the
19- to 29-year-old age group.
As of Thursday, July 30, there were 2,172
lab-confirmed cases (with 1,663 recovered),
456 probable cases (with 359 recovered) and
26 deaths. Tuesday also marked the state’s
26th death from COVID, a man from Uinta
County.
“Wyoming was doing pretty well
compared to other states around the country,”
he said.
Due to increases, Gordon extended the
current public health orders again through
Aug. 15 and strongly urged residents to wear
face coverings, maintain social distance
and wash and sanitize hands often to keep
COVID from further wrecking the economy.
The governor touched the mask hanging
around his neck: “If you’re dead set on taking
down Wyoming’s economy, don’t wear one
of these. These are the things that are going
to keep us open and the things that will move
us forward.”