Montana reports no new COVID-19 deaths, 295 new cases

Montana reported 295 COVID-19 cases in an update Tuesday morning to the state case mapping and information website.

A total of 4,946 active cases were reported in the state at the time of the update. No deaths were reported Tuesday on the state website, which relies on information from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. The state death total remained at 1,093 people.

The update came less than an hour before Gov. Greg Gianforte announced that the state was moving into phase 1B of its vaccine distribution plan.

Under Phase 1B those eligible for the vaccine include Montanans age 70 and older, Native Americans or other people of color who may be at high risk for COVID-19 complications, and people between the ages of 16 and 69 with a high-risk medical condition.

Qualifying medical conditions include:

• Cancer
• Chronic kidney disease
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Down syndrome
• Heart conditions such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, or cardiomyopathies
• Immunocompromised state from solid organ transplant
• Severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2)
• Sickle cell disease
• Type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus
• People who medical providers determine on a case by case basis have other conditions that cause an elevated risk of COVID-19 complications

Active COVID-19 hospitalizations were at 163 people. Total statewide COVID-19 hospitalizations reached 3,992 people Tuesday.

Five out of 10 large hospitals in the state reported having limited bed availability or being near capacity Monday, according to a snapshot hospital occupancy and capacity report from DPHHS. Three out of the 10 large hospitals also reported limited availability of intensive care units in the same report.

The CDC vaccine tracking map had yet to be updated by 10 a.m. Tuesday. Gianforte announced Tuesday morning that the state had administered 57,221 vaccine doses, with 9,408 Montanans considered fully immunized through vaccination.

Montana has totaled 89,864 COVID-19 cases since last March. Of those people infected 83,825 are considered recovered, meaning they meet the CDC guidelines for a person with COVID-19 to be released from isolation. That does not necessarily mean a person is no longer experiencing symptoms or other health effects related to illness.

Another 2,260 tests were completed by Tuesday. The statewide testing total hit 883,672 with the most recent round of testing.

Counties added the following number of cases in the Tuesday update:

• Gallatin with 78 (566 active)
• Yellowstone with 42 (1,004 active)
• Missoula with 39 (357 active)
• Lewis and Clark with 28 (564 active)
• Cascade with 26 (580 active)
• Flathead with 17 (548 active)
• Glacier with 13 (33 active)
• Lake with nine (103 active)
• Deer Lodge with eight (26 active)
• Lincoln with six (94 active)
• Pondera with six (12 active)
• Daniels with five (17 active)
• Carbon with four (24 active)
• Chouteau with two (20 active)
• Stillwater with two (12 active)
• Sweet Grass with two (five active)
• Fergus with one (84 active)
• Hill with one (35 active)
• Park with one (85 active)
• Powell with one (26 active)
• Richland with one (15 active)
• Sheridan with one (five active)
• Teton with one (17 active)
• Toole with one (five active