As of Sunday, August 30, 2020, Montana reports 7,340 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 89 new cases reported in the last day: 41 in Yellowstone County, 28 in Rosebud County, 5 in Gallatin County, 4 in Dawson County, 3 in Flathead County, 2 in each of Missoula, Musselshell, and Sweet Grass Counties, and 1 in Madison County and McCone County. Statewide, 432 people have been hospitalized, and 132 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. Yellowstone County has had 2,053 cases so far. Gallatin County has had 1,074. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 1,953. The most active cases are in Yellowstone County, with 949 active cases, while Gallatin County has 57 active cases. 104 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 183,000 Americans have died. There have been 5,970,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The Teton County Health Department has confirmed a case of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children, otherwise known as MIS-C, associated with COVID-19. The patient is a Montana resident between 10 and 19-years-old. The patient was hospitalized in Salt Lake City, and is now recovering at home. MIS-C is a serious inflammatory condition in children, caused by COVID-19. It can strike a patient with a fever, inflammation, and severe illness involving more than two organs that requires hospitalization.

Hardin Public Schools has paused athletic events for both high school and middle school programs in the wake of students testing positive for COVID-19. The school district has halted its fall sports schedule for two weeks, as of Friday, August 28. Multiple students have tested positive for COVID-19. The Big Horn County Health Department says that these positive confirmations may have a large impact on students/staff that may have been in contact with these students during possible periods of exposure. The students last (had) in-person contact with fellow students/staff on Aug. 27. Hardin’s football opener is scheduled for two weeks from Friday on Sept. 11 at home against Lewistown, and the Bulldogs cross country teams were scheduled to compete at the Sidney Invitational on Saturday, but did not make the trip.

Hardin is located in Big Horn County, which currently has the second-most deaths and the fourth-most active coronavirus cases in the Montana. The county reported on Friday that it had 20 new cases — six in patients younger than the age of 20. 17 residents remain hospitalized. Previously, fall high school sports were canceled at Lodge Grass, Northern Cheyenne and St. Labre due to the pandemic. Those schools are located in or near Big Horn County.