The protest was Wyoming’s biggest of its kind to date though smaller than some in other state capitals over the weekend that drew thousands. Few of the protesters in Cheyenne maintained the recommended 6-foot spacing distance and only a couple wore masks.

Protesters said they were turning out in support of local businesses.

“I’m not suggesting anybody is stupid but a second Great Depression is going to kill more people than this virus will,” said one protester, Lisa Glauner.

State and local officials don’t have the authority to shut down businesses, said protester Mike Tuttle, owner of T-Joe’s Steakhouse and Saloon on the outskirts of Cheyenne.

The deaths of two people from the coronavirus in Wyoming to date is tragic but “what is two people in a state that has almost 600,000 people?” asked Tuttle.

He planned to reopen May 1 with or without permission, Tuttle said.

For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death. The vast majority of people recover.