COVID-19 spread continues across Wyo.

Three more Sweetwater County residents have confirmed to have died as a result of COVID-19 as the county and state continue to deal with new infections spurred by the Delta variation of the novel coronavirus.

The Wyoming News Exchange reported the Wyoming Department of Health linked 26 additional deaths to COVID-19 Tuesday. Three of those deaths were of unidentified Sweetwater County residents, two women and one man. In total, there have been 835 confirmed deaths related to COVID-19, 49 of which being Sweetwater County residents.

The news comes as the department reports active cases in Wyoming increased by 167 for a total of 2,949 cases. The highest number recorded was tallied in Natrona County, with confirmed active cases. Laramie County and Campbell County were the next highest with 422 and 311 cases respectively. Sweetwater County has the sixth highest case count with 161 confirmed cases and a total of 241 active cases. To date, 72,069 Wyoming residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19 since the disease was first detected.

The spread of the Delta variant has resulted in long lines at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County’s drive-thru swab station. The line Monday stretched from the hospital’s main entrance, through the parking lot and on to nearby Skyline Drive.

“Yes, it was quite busy yesterday,” Deb Sutton, MHSC’s public information officer said in an email Tuesday.

Sutton believes several reasons attribute to the long line at the hospital. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine recently received full FDA approval, as well as timing related to the start of the school year and businesses and organizations directing their staff to get tested. The hospital immediately extended the drive-thru swab hours to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. With vaccinations, the hospital hopes more residents will get the jabs.

“We encourage everyone to please get vaccinated,” Sutton said. “There are a number of ways on any given day in our county.”

Pfizer-BioNTech has been approved for anyone 12 and older while the two-shot Moderna and single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for anyone 18 and older. The hospital offers a drive-thru vaccination clinic Wednesdays from 3-6 p.m., at the hospital’s entrance. Residents can call 352-8561 to learn more about the clinic or to schedule a shot party. A daily walk-in vaccination clinic is offered by Sweetwater County Public Health 9-10 a.m., weekdays. Afternoon appointments can be scheduled by calling 922-5390.