GREAT FALLS — The City-County Health Department in Great Falls announced on Wednesday evening that there have been eight new COVID deaths in Cascade County since Monday, November 23rd.
The eight people were two women in their 60s; two men in their 60s; one man in his 70s; and three men in their 80s.
There have now been 75 deaths in Cascade County. The CCHD noted that 70 of these deaths have been reported to state; the remaining five deaths are not yet reflected in state data.
The CCHD said in a news release: "We are deeply sorry for the families and friends of these individuals, and hope that Cascade County residents can join together to lend them compassion and support, particularly during the holiday season."
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(WEDNESDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 25) There are 911 new COVID-19 cases reported across Montana, and the death toll has now reached 666 - an increase of 14 since Tuesday - according to data compiled over the past 24 hours by MTN News. Three of those deaths were in Cascade County, bringing the county death toll to 70. There are currently 15,359 active cases in Montana, and there has been a cumulative total of 59,050 cases, MTN News reports. Of the total cases, 43,025 have recovered.
There are currently 462 people hospitalized, and the cumulative number of hospitalizations is 2,474. There were 5,055 completed tests within the last 24 hours, bringing the cumulative total to 627,851.
The numbers reported by MTN News reflect the latest data from the Montana COVID website, along with supplemental data from county health departments. The disparity between data from the Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS) and data from county health departments continues to grow as COVID-19 cases escalate in Montana. MTN has decided to use a combination of these sources to deliver more accurate and timely information. As a result, numbers reported by MTN will not align precisely with the DPHHS figures.
VACCINE: DPHHS has released a draft vaccine distribution plan; there will be three phases of distribution. DPHHS says the vaccine will not be mandatory, and that everyone who wants to get it will be able to eventually. Click here for details.
RESTRICTIONS: Tighter statewide restrictions went into effect on November 20 due to the spike in the number of cases and deaths. Click here to read the full text of the directive.
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.