HELENA — There were 393 newly-confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported in Montana on Thursday, while the number of active cases decreased slightly to 2,516, down from 2,523 on Wednesday.
Flathead County again reported the most new cases with 84, as active cases dropped to 522. Yellowstone County had the second-largest increase in cases at 56, and active cases increased to 377. Gallatin and Missoula counties each reported 38 new cases, the third-highest new case total on Thursday. There are 178 active cases in Gallatin County and 266 active cases in Missoula County.
The total number of Montanans who have died due to COVID increased by three to 1,729, according to the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS).
The number of people currently hospitalized due to COVID jumped from 164 to 179. The cumulative number of hospitalizations in Montana due to the virus is 5,915.
There have been 119,519 cumulative cases of COVID in Montana. The cumulative number of recoveries stands at 115,274. The total number of COVID tests administered in Montana is 1,540,336.
The number of state residents who have been fully immunized against the virus is now 449,259 (about 49% of the state population). The total number of doses administered is 911,524. If you want to get vaccinated, contact your county health department, or click here.
The information above is from the DPHHS website and is current as of Thursday, August 12, 2021.
Adam Meier, director of DPHHS, said in a news release last week that COVID-related hospitalization data from the past eight weeks from June 5 to July 30 shows that 89% of Montanans who were hospitalized had not received the COVID vaccine. The data includes 358 hospitalizations of Montanans during this time frame. The hospitalizations included an age range from 1 to 97, with a median age of 64.
“This data illustrates just how effective the COVID-19 vaccine is in preventing serious illness when you consider how far we’ve come since the vaccine first became available,” Meier said. “The data is also a reminder of how important it is to get vaccinated. This is now a vaccine-preventable disease, and the last thing we want to see are more cases and hospitalizations. The COVID-19 vaccine is the best tool we have to prevent serious illness and hospitalization. The fall and winter months are just around the corner. Now is the time to get the vaccine.”