GREAT FALLS — There were 478 new COVID-19 cases reported in Montana on Monday morning, and the statewide death toll since the pandemic began has now reached 1,058, according to data compiled by MTN News. Stillwater County reported two additional deaths, and one additional death was reported in each Rosebud and Yellowstone counties.
The number of active cases in the state is currently 4,812, according to MTN News, and there has been a cumulative total of 86,918 cases of the virus in Montana. Of the total cases, 81,048 have recovered. There are currently 207 people hospitalized for treatment of the virus, and the cumulative number of hospitalizations is 3,853. The number of tests performed in the state has reached 845,439, an increase of 3,189 during the previous 24-hour reporting period.
The counties with the most deaths are:
- Big Horn: 64
- Blaine: 24
- Cascade: 107
- Dawson: 27
- Flathead: 60
- Gallatin: 39
- Glacier: 35
- Hill: 37
- Lewis & Clark: 42
- Missoula: 57
- Ravalli: 26
- Roosevelt: 51
- Rosebud: 29
- Silver Bow: 58
- Yellowstone: 170
SOURCES: The numbers reported above reflect the latest data from the official Montana COVID website as well as supplemental data from county health departments. The disparity between numbers provided by the MT Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS) and numbers from county health departments continues to grow as COVID cases escalate in Montana. MTN News uses both state data and county data to provide more accurate and timely information. As a result, numbers reported by MTN do not align with the DPHHS figures.
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CONTEXT: Not every person who tests positive actually becomes ill or exhibits symptoms. Many do not; of those who do become sick, some experience mild symptoms and do not require hospitalization. Others experience more severe symptoms, and some do require hospitalization. Every person who tests positive for COVID, however, has the potential to spread the virus to other people, including family members and friends, which is why public health officials continue to encourage everyone to wear a mask and maintain at least the recommended six feet of "social distance" when in public. The CDC released data in late August which emphasizes that people with contributing or chronic medical conditions are at much greater risk of dying from COVID-19. Click here to read more.
VACCINE: If you have sent us a question regarding when you might be able to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Montana recently, we’re not ignoring them. We’ve seen them, but for now we’re holding off on answering some of those types of questions because of the changes to the state’s vaccination plan. As we reported a few days ago, as the state’s vaccination plan and timeline changes, so do the phases of vaccine distribution. If President-elect Biden does release all available doses of the vaccine once he takes office, as he has previously stated is his plan, the increased vaccine availability could cause Montana and other states to reevaluate their phases and timelines again.
If you are wondering when you may be able to receive the vaccine, please visit the DPHHS COVID-19 website, as that is the most up-to-date information available on the current phases and timeline of vaccine distribution. We will report on any future changes that Montana officials make to their timeline, vaccine distribution phases, or the number of doses that are currently available or on their way to the Treasure State.