Nearly 200 YNP employees test negative for COVID-19

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 7/1/20

Since May, Yellowstone National Park has tested 577 employees for COVID-19. This effort is in-line with the park’s phased reopening plan and in partnership with Montana and Wyoming state health officials. On June 17 and 18, the park tested 190 concession employees and all tests returned negative. Initially, one concession employee tested positive and was immediately isolated. The employee was retested twice more and both tests came back negative. The state health office described the initial test as a false positive, which, according to a county health official, is normal during widespread surveillance testing.

Wastewater samples were also pulled from Gardiner, Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful from June 13-16 and indicated 0 percent prevalence of COVID-19 at the time they were sampled. Additional samples were collected at Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful from June 27-29, which may give the park a better idea of COVID-19 increases due to reopening.