Montana state health officials reported 37 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, the largest one-day increase in the state since the pandemic began, according to the Montana Response COVID-19 tracking map. The previous one-day record for new cases in the state was 35 on March 26.
The new cases push the cumulative state total to 803, according to state health officials. MTN is reporting one fewer total case and one fewer recovered case due to a case in Jefferson County that public health authorities say involved a patient who was not in the state.
Yellowstone County increased by 10 cases and Gallatin County saw an increase of seven new cases. Dawson County recorded six new cases and Missoula County saw four new cases. Two new cases were reported in each of the following counties: Big Horn County, Flathead County, and Silver Bow County. One new case each was reported in each of the following counties: Carbon County, Custer County, Granite County, and Ravalli County.
ACTIVE CASES: There are currently 210 active cases across the state. There are now 32 active cases in each Yellowstone and Big Horn counties. Gallatin County has the most active cases at 35, and there are 19 active cases in Missoula County.
HOSPITALIZATIONS/RECOVERIES: There has been a total of 93 people hospitalized; there are currently 15 people hospitalized. There has been a cumulative total of 572 recoveries.
TESTING: The number of tests jumped by 3,266 over the previous 24-hour reporting period, for a new state-wide total of 78,332.
DEATHS: The cumulative number of deaths in Montana is 21. There have been six deaths in Toole County, four in Yellowstone County, two in Cascade County, two in Flathead County, and two in Big Horn County. The other deaths have been reported in Gallatin, Lincoln, Madison, and Missoula counties.
CASCADE COUNTY: There are currently nine active cases in Cascade County; the City-County Health Department in Great Falls believes that most of the new cases are community-acquired, and did not involve travel. There has been a cumulative total of 26 confirmed cases in Cascade County; 15 of the patients recovered, and two of the patients died. The CCHD says that as in all cases, they are performing contact tracing. Anyone who comes up in their investigation as having been exposed will be contacted.
Free drive-through testing is available from Alluvion Health in the parking lot of the former Westgate Mall, located at 3rd Street NW. Click here for dates and times.
As with previous reporting of COVID-19 cases, the lack of specific information about cases - such as where a patient lives or works, or where the person may have traveled - has some people upset, but the disclosure of patient information is regulated at both the federal and the state level. Click here to read more about privacy regulations and what can/can't be released.
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