Wyoming State Health Officer Dr. Alexia Harrist said during a press conference on Wednesday, April 29 that the state is “in a good place right now” when it comes to medical personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies.
“But is something that we really need to keep a close eye on moving forward as we begin to ease restrictions,” Harrist added.
She began by drawing a distinction between medical grade PPE and protective face coverings that the Wyoming Department of Health recommends for the general public.
As the state relaxes restrictions on personal care businesses and gyms beginning May 1, employees will be required to wear face coverings and the public is strongly encouraged to do so.
Personal care businesses that will be allowed to reopen include:
- nail salons, hair salons and barber shops
- cosmetology, electrology and esthetic services
- massage therapy services
- tattoo, body art and piercing shops
“Let me just reiterate first that the type of face coverings that we are recommending in these settings are the cloth face coverings that we are recommending that people wear in public,” Harrist said. “They are not necessarily medical grade PPE so I’d like to make that distinction.”
Governor Mark Gordon noted after Harrist’s comments that he was wearing such a cloth face covering.
