Four members of the Northern Arapaho tribe in central Wyoming have died related to COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to six, Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon announced Tuesday.
The newly confirmed deaths include an older man, older woman, adult woman and adult man, and all had been in the hospital, according to the Wyoming Department of Health.
Two of the four had pre-existing conditions that made them more vulnerable to coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, Wyoming health officials said.
Here is Gordon's statement on the deaths in Fremont County, which is on the Wind River Reservation:
"I want to extend my condolences to the Northern Arapaho Tribe and to the families of the four people that passed away last night due to COVID-19. These deaths highlight the insidious nature of the illness, as both the Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Tribes took advanced protective measures early on, including through an aggressive testing strategy. I want to commend each of the sovereign nations for taking those early steps for the safety of Wind River Reservation communities. I continue to communicate regularly with Tribal leadership regarding both State and tribal strategies for handling the mounting challenges posed by COVID-19. During my conversation with Chairman Spoonhunter today, we agreed that the Tribes and the State must coordinate our response for the health of Wyoming citizens, as we are all in this together."
As of Tuesday, Wyoming has reported 320 laboratory-confirmed cases, 116 probable cases and six COVID-19 related deaths in Wyoming.