As of Thursday, July 16, 2020, Montana reports 2,231 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 134 new cases reported in the last day: 47 new cases in Gallatin County, almost all of them in people in their 20s and 30s. Yellowstone County has 45 new cases. There are 7 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, 6 new cases in Carbon and in Park County, 5 in flathead County, 3 new cases in each of Cascade, Madison, Silver Bow and Stillwater Counties, 2 new cases in Custer and in Fergus County, and 1 new case in Blaine and in Richland County. Statewide, 150 people have been hospitalized, and 37 people are currently being treated in the hospital for COVID-19. Yellowstone County has had the largest number of confirmed cases in any of the counties in the state of Montana, with 629 cases so far, surpassing Gallatin County, with 536 cases so far. The most active cases are in Yellowstone County, with 440 active cases. Gallatin County has 284 active cases. Tatewide, there are 1,226 active cases. 35 people have died in Montana of COVID-19, the latest death on Thursday morning in Billings at the Canyon Creek Memory Care nursing home, the eighth death in that facility due to COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 138,000 Americans have died.

Reiterated the statewide directive mandating mask usage in some situations.

The 2021 Rose Parade has been canceled because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on planning for the New Year’s Day tradition and the risk of spreading infections among its huge audience and participants. The Pasadena, California, tradition would have been the 132nd parade.

Target and CVS are the latest retailers to announce they too will require shoppers to wear masks or face coverings at stores nationwide. The announcements come a day after Walmart, Sam’s Club, Kroger and Kohl’s announced they would require masks as COVID-19 illness continues to rise. Others also require face masks, like Costco, Starbucks, and Best Buy.