As of Wednesday, August 26, 2020, Montana reports 6,785 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 162 new cases reported in the last day: 48 in Yellowstone County (Billings is the county seat), 32 in Flathead County (Kalispell is the county seat), 31 in Rosebud County (Forsyth is the county seat), 9 in Missoula County, 7 in Glacier County, 6 in Big Horn and in Gallatin County, 5 in Hill County, 4 in Liberty County, 2 in each of Cascade, Fergus, and Lincoln Counties, and 1 in each of Custer, Deer Lodge, Jefferson, McCone, Phillips, Ravalli, Richland, and Stillwater Counties. Statewide, 402 people have been hospitalized, and 125 people are currently being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. Yellowstone County has had 1,864 cases so far. Gallatin County has had 1,029. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 1,704. The most active cases are in Yellowstone County, with 847 active cases. Gallatin County has 26 active cases. 98 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 178,000 Americans have died. There have been 5,790,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

A Florida judge struck down an emergency order from the Florida Department of Education that would have required all schools to reopen for in-person learning this month. Judge Charles Dodson ruled that Florida had “essentially ignored the requirement of school safety” in pushing to reopen schools, and that the state’s order overrode school boards’ constitutional authority to make decisions for their school systems.

The Miami Dolphins will allow as many as 13,000 football fans at their National Football League home opener on September 20, a decision that has divided political leaders and upset the visiting team’s coach, the Buffalo Bills’ Sean McDermott. Groups of fans will be seated six feet apart, and the stadium will be at about 20% capacity. The same plan will apply for a college football home opener when the University of Miami play September 10. Fifteen of the NFL’s 32 teams have decided to play with no spectators this season. The Dolphins are one of at least eight teams hoping to have a limited number of fans, although many health officials caution that the plans put fans, football players, stadium vendors, and others at too great a risk for coronavirus transmission.

Coronavirus cases linked to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally have been found in 8 states so far. More than 100 cases have been found in Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Washington, Wisconsin, Wyoming and the Dakotas. The director of the Minnesota Health Department’s infectious disease division said, “We’re expecting that we’re going to see many more cases associated with Sturgis. Thousands of people attended that event, and so it’s very likely that we will see more transmission.” Five Montana COVID-19 cases so far are linked to the Sturgis motorcycle rally, which took place about two weeks ago. Sturgis motorcycle rallygoers numbered 490,000. South Dakota public health officials warned against the rally precisely because coronavirus could be spread in crowds and then transmitted across the nation as rallygoers returned home.

In Great Falls, at the Cascade County Detention Center, 53 inmates and two staff members have tested positive for COVID-19. One confirmed case of COVID-19 in an inmate was announced last Friday. The 53 cases represent about one in nine current Cascade county jail detainees of 448 male and female inmates.

The Gallatin Valley Food Bank will be providing free food boxes in Belgrade the next two weeks. Food boxes will be distributed this coming Thursday, August 27 and next Thursday, September 3 at Peace Lutheran Church in Belgrade. Anyone is welcome to take a food box, which includes 25 pounds of fresh produce. There will be at least 150 boxes available each distribution day. The Gallatin Valley Food Bank is open weekdays 1 to 4 p.m.