It took Wyoming more than seven months to surpass 10,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, a milestone the state reached on October 27.

Nearly 10,000 more came in roughly three weeks as the state inches closer to the 20,000 mark.

On Monday, the Wyoming Department of Health reported 587 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the statewide total to 19,885.

The statewide death total from COVID-19 or related causes remains at 144.

As Wyoming's cases continue to rapidly increase, so have hospitalizations. Through September, the number of hospitalizations statewide seldom exceeded 20.

On Saturday, Wyoming reported 202 hospitalizations, a number that's slightly decreased in the days since.

(The Wyoming Department of Health issued the disclaimer that hospitalization data is self-reported.) 

"We are being knuckleheads about this," Gordon said Friday's news conference.. "Our state is at a fever pitch.

"I'm going to ask you to go to yourself and ask yourself do you feel better today about what's going on in this state than you felt maybe in June or July or August when we were one of the lowest states for infection rates."

Gordon said health orders are coming for Wyoming, but he declined to elaborate.

Last week, more than 20 of Wyoming's county health officers signed a letter urging Gordon to implement a statewide mask mandate.

Those signatures included Natrona County Health Officer Dr. Mark Dowell who said on Sunday that he can't ignore his medical training as an infectious disease expert in recommending a mask mandate. 

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