Omicron believed responsible for local surge in COVID cases

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — New COVID-19 cases continue to increase sharply over the last week, prompting several changes to protocol regarding slowing the spread.

From December 29, 2021, through January 4, 2022, there were a total of 734 cases reported with a correlating case rate of 3,128.20/100,000 population. In the past two weeks, 15.6% of tests taken in Teton County have received a positive result according to the Wyoming Department of Health.

Public health response coordinator Rachel Wheelers says at this time the St. John’s Health Emergency Department, St. John’s Health Urgent Care clinics, medical providers, and other aspects of our medical care systems are overwhelmed with more ambulatory COVID-19 patients. Though the great majority of these patients are not needing to be hospitalized they do require medical care.

Record show 0 patients in ICU for COVID as of January 7, 2022. 83% vacancy in ICU, and 48% of total hospital beds in use.

“These recent case counts have significantly exceeded the previous all-time high we saw in January 2021. Due to these very high numbers our case investigating team is overwhelmed along with the COVID-19 testing capacity in our community,” Wheeler said. “Both severe winter weather and the holiday shipping closures have caused delays in receiving testing supplies and for tests to be sent out and processed. We expect cases to continue to increase and stay high for multiple weeks based on modeling and experiences from other areas in the United States that are also dealing with an Omicron surge.”

Wheeler said there has not been a confirmed case of Omicron in Teton County to date, yet state health officials say it is now the dominant strain. It is unclear what is accounting for the uptick in positive cases, locally, while hospitalizations do not appear to be adversely affected.

Wheeler says genetic sequencing of COVID-19 positive tests need to confirm Omicron variant and those tests are so backlogged health officials are just working under the assumption Omicron is here and causing the spike in cases.

“The Teton County Health Department is operating at the highest level we can to serve our community during COVID-19.  At this time our COVID vaccine clinic and our testing supplies allocated from the Wyoming Department of Health are at capacity due to staffing restraints and current allocation amounts,” Teton said county health director Jodie Pond, MPH. “Testing supplies and demand for testing are exponentially increasing across the entire U.S. and we are seeing these effects in our community. Please be patient with us as we navigate through this new stage in the pandemic, the Omicron surge.”

Testing site on the move again 

Teton County Health Department  is shifting location for the COVID-19 Clinics for individuals ages 12 and up only. Starting Tuesday, January 11, 2022, the 12+ clinic will take place at the Presbyterian Church of Jackson Hole, 1251 S Park Loop Rd. The hours for these clinics will be:

Tuesdays 9:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 5:30pm

Wednesdays and Thursdays 8:30am to 12:30pm and 1:30pm to 5:30pm

Appointments are in high demand.

Individuals ages 12 and up who need a first dose are welcome to walk in without an appointment to our clinic during operating hours. Due to staffing and clinic hours, we will no longer be allowing individuals to arrive at the end of the clinic day looking for extra doses.

Clinics for 5–11-year-olds will remain at the Teton County Health Department, 460 E Pearl Ave, and continue to take place on Mondays from 3-7pm. Walk-ins are not allowed.