St. John’s Health CEO encourages community to keep spirits up

JACKSON, Wyo. (KIFI/KIDK) - As the community again struggles to slow down a COVID-19 outbreak, St. John's Health CEO, Dr. Paul Beaupre is encouraging the community to "soften a bit to the idea that everyone we know is experiencing complicated emotions."

In his latest update, Beaupre said St. John's Health Care has averaged 4-6 patients per day. 25 staff members were out, as of Friday, because they had either tested positive for COVID or quarntined after a community exposure.

St. John's has now acquired specialized freezers necessary to store the Pfizer vaccine announced last week.

St. John's is working with local health officials to expand capacity for surveillance and contact tracing tests. Wyoming residents can acquire family test kits at no cost. Beaupre suggests having the kits on hand in case a family member shows symptoms.

Beaupre thanked state and local officials for putting more restrictive orders for a period of time. And, he encouraged people to keep their spirits up and have faith in the local public health team.