TORRINGTON – Banner Community Hospital CEO Zach Miller has joined Torrington Mayor Randy Adams, Governor Mark Gordon, State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist, Goshen County Health Officer Dr. Marion Smith and Goshen County Public Health in publicly telling citizens to heed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation wash hands, social distance and wear masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19. 

Miller penned an open letter to the community, which is published in today’s Torrington Telegram and on the hospital’s Facebook page. In it, he offered tips and suggestions for citizens to keep themselves and their loved ones safe during the pandemic. 

“If we all work together, we can help stop the spread of COVID-19,” he said. “Being armed with information will ensure the safety and security of you, your family and our community. Luckily, the recipe for success in this fight, and the fight against many illnesses, is rather simple and is
time tested.”

Miller’s letter was published just one day after Gordon and Harrist elected to extend their statewide public health orders to combat the novel coronavirus. Tuesday was an exception to recent trends because there were more recoveries from COVID-19 than there were new cases, but that doesn’t negate the fact that Wyoming has seen significant jumps in case numbers. Locally, there have been four new cases since July 4, including a new diagnosis – a young male from Torrington – on Monday.  

The statewide death toll climbed to 22 on Monday, and the nationwide toll has surged to over 138,000. 

Gordon said Wyoming residents should look at the situation in other states to see what happens if proper precautions aren’t taken. 

“I’m disappointed again that we continue to see case numbers rise,” Gordon said. “Wyoming residents only need to look at what Texas, Florida and Arizona are experiencing to see how much damage being careless, not wearing a mask, and failing to social distance can cause to our state’s economy, our citizens’ health and our healthcare system. I am encouraged to see many of our businesses taking this responsibility seriously and both requiring staff and urging customers to wear
face coverings.”

The extended orders mirror the last set of public health orders, which cap indoor gatherings at 50 people and outdoor gatherings at 250 people. 

Though the Wyoming Department of Health statewide metric continues to show the number of new cases is concerning, Miller wrote that Banner has taken the necessary steps to make its facilities as safe as possible. 

“I want to assure you that throughout this unprecedented time, Banner Torrington Community Hospital and our Banner Medical Group clinics have taken extraordinary steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our community,” Miller wrote. “We have increased supply of personal protective equipment for our team. We have designated separate entrances for staff and patients. Our environmental services team has doubled their efforts to ensure the hospital and clinic environment is the cleanest, safest possible for care. We have restricted visitors to our campus, and developed a screening process to ensure staff, and visitors are safe.

“Because of these changes, and many more, I can confidently state that Banner Torrington Community Hospital and our Clinics are a Safe Place to Receive Care. This is not a statement I take lightly. Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure our neighbors and friends have the safest place possible to receive care, when you need it.”