As of Wednesday, July 8, 2020, Montana reports 1,371 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 44 new cases reported in the last day: nineteen new cases in Gallatin County, five new cases in Yellowstone County, three new cases in each of Big Horn, Lewis & Clark, and Silver Bow Counties, two new cases in each of Jefferson, Lake, Madison, and Meagher Counties, and one new case in each of Carbon, Cascade, and Granite Counties. Statewide, 117 people have been hospitalized, and 22 people are currently being treated in the hospital for COVID-19. Yellowstone County has had 330 cases so far, surpassing Gallatin County, with 327 cases so far. The most active cases are in Yellowstone County, with 190 active cases, followed by Gallatin County, with 98 active cases, and Missoula County with 51 active cases. 23 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 134,000 Americans have died.

As coronavirus cases surge in the U.S., inundating hospitals and leading to testing shortages, a rapidly growing number of Houston area residents are dying at home, with an increasing number of these at-home deaths confirmed to be the result of COVID-19. The previously unreported jump in people dying at home is the latest indicator of a mounting crisis in the southwest region beset by one of the nation’s worst and fastest-growing coronavirus outbreaks. On Tuesday, a record 3,851 people were hospitalized for the coronavirus in the Houston region, exceeding normal intensive care capacity and sending some hospitals scrambling to find additional staff and space. The uptick in the number of people dying before they can even reach a hospital in Houston draws parallels to what happened in New York City in March and April, when there was a spike in the number of times firefighters responded to medical calls, only to discover that the person in need of help had already died. These increases also echo those reported during outbreaks in Detroit and Boston, when the number of people dying at home jumped as coronavirus cases surged.

The University of Washington announced on Sunday that at least 112 fraternity house residents north of its Seattle campus have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of students infected on Greek Row so far to 121. The number of confirmed cases has risen steadily since the outbreak was first announced on June 30. At that point, 38 students living in 10 fraternity houses had tested positive. Just four days later, at least 117 residents of 15 fraternity houses had reported positive test results.

A Montana University System task force is recommending that students and employees be required to wear face masks this fall, rather than simply urged to do so. The MUS Healthy Fall 2020 Task Force reached consensus Wednesday. The group hasn’t yet worked out such details as whether to require masks just in classrooms, or on the entire campus, or what if any enforcement measures to take if people refuse to comply.