Wyoming deaths spiked in 2020

CASPER – Wyoming recorded significantly more deaths in 2020 than in the prior year, new figures from the Wyoming Department of Health show.

The state documented 5983 deaths last year — an increase of 862, or 16%, compared with the year prior. While increases do occur from year to year, this year’s was notably larger, a health department official noted in a statement released Friday.

“Our data has shown steady, small increases in deaths for several years largely due to our state’s aging population,” said Guy Beaudoin, the Vital Statistics Services deputy state registrar with the health departme...