CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon has loosened public health restrictions on restaurants, even though the coronavirus has been spreading more quickly in recent weeks.
As many as eight people will now be able to sit at a table in a restaurant, up from six previously. Still more people from the same family will be allowed to sit at the same table under the new orders taking effect Thursday.
Also, people seated at restaurant booths will no longer need to be at least 6 feet (2 meters) apart.
Data show that sit-down dining at restaurants doesn’t contribute much to spread of the coronavirus, Gordon said in a release.
Other restrictions, including limits on large gatherings of people, remain in place.
The changes, which will be in effect through Oct. 15, come as Wyoming sees the fastest growth of known cases of the coronavirus since the pandemic began in March.
The number of people in Wyoming known to be infected with the coronavirus who’ve not yet recovered has exceeded 1,100, up from about 500 last summer. The number of infections is thought to be far higher because many people haven’t been tested and studies suggest people can be infected with the virus without getting sick.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia, and death.
