GREAT FALLS — Officials in Hill County announced on Wednesday afternoon that they have confirmed the first case of a resident with COVID-19.
In a news release, the Hill County Health Department said the patient is a man in his 60s, and he has been instructed to remain isolated at home until he has fully recovered. There is no word at this point if he had traveled outside of the area recently. No other information about the patient has been released due to federal privacy law.
Public health officials will interview the man to find out where he has been and who he has been in contact with over the last two weeks. Anyone who has been in direct contact with the man will be called by the Hill County Health Department with instructions on how to proceed.
According to The Havre Herald, 14 people have been tested in Hill County so far.
The news release stated: "All of the preventative measures put in place over the past weeks take on new importance now that know COVID-19 is in our community."
As of Wednesday evening (March 25), there are 65 cases of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Montana; that number includes the Hill County case
Here is the current total by county: Gallatin 24; Yellowstone 12; Missoula 6; Flathead 5; Butte-Silver Bow 4; Cascade 3; Lewis & Clark 3; Madison 2; Broadwater 2; Ravalli 1; Roosevelt 1; Jefferson 1; Hill 1.
Governor Steve Bullock hosted a news conference on Tuesday afternoon to give an update on Montana's efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus. Bullock said that his school closure order, which was set to expire Friday, will be extended to April 10. His order to close all non-essential businesses, including bars, casinos, and gyms, was also extended to April 10. Restaurants remain prohibited from allowing people to eat in their dining rooms, but can continue to provide take-out, curb-side, and delivery service (see here). Click here for more details about the restrictions.
There have not been any deaths in Montana attributed to COVID-19 at this point. Officials in Montana are keeping a list of confirmed cases in the Treasure State on an updated map and website - click here to visit the site.
As of Wednesday morning, the DPHHS public health lab in Helena has completed 2,193 tests for COVID-19; that includes 112 tests conducted since Wednesday morning.
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