As of Tuesday, October 6, 2020, Montana reports 15,347 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with another new high number of new coronavirus cases, 504, reported in the last day: 124 in Flathead County, 58 in Glacier County, 49 in Missoula County, 46 in Gallatin County, 46 in Yellowstone County, 20 in Cascade County, 18 in Hill County, 17 in Big Horn County, 13 in Toole County, 12 in Park County, 11 in Blaine County, 10 in Lake County, and new cases in twenty-three more Montana counties. Statewide, 773 people have been hospitalized, and 216 people are currently being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. There are 4,983 active coronavirus cases in Montana. The most active cases are in Yellowstone, Flathead, and Cascade Counties. 192 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 211,000 Americans have died. There have been 7,520,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Montana coronavirus cases are spiking, with record-high numbers of cases reported in the last several days. More than 230 Montana health care providers have signed a letter asking the public to once again do its part to flatten the COVID-19 curve as cases surge. The letter, sent Oct. 5 to The Billings Gazette, calls the regional surge in COVID-19 cases “more serious than it has ever been in our state.” As a result, hospitals and other health care facilities are straining to provide care. The providers ask the public to double-down on prevention efforts to once again flatten the curve in Montana. The letter is a response to consistently record-breaking case numbers, and reads, in part,

COVID-19 is surging in our community and in Montana. The situation is more serious than it has ever been in our state. New case counts and hospitalizations are hitting record highs nearly every day and tragically more and more Montanans are losing their lives to this disease. Our health care systems are being strained under this pressure. COVID-19 can impact everyone — young, old, healthy, or chronically ill. It can cause heart damage in young athletes, it can increase the risk of pre-term delivery in pregnant mothers, it can steal the lives of our loved ones from us too soon, particularly our elders.
Reducing the spread of disease is the most powerful tool our community has to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. It is the best way to keep our children safely in school, to keep our economy open, and to keep our friends, family, and neighbors alive. Other communities and states have been overwhelmed by this virus. Montana is not immune, and the risk of that happening here has never been higher. We are working every day to prevent this, but will not be successful without your help.
We need you to prioritize doing these things EVERY day:
– Wear a mask whenever you are outside your home or around other people.
– If you are exposed to someone with COVID-19, quarantine at home for 14 days.
– If you are sick, get tested, self-quarantine, and follow public health advice.
– If your children are sick, keep them home from school or day care and follow return to school guidelines.
– Wash your hands regularly.
– Keep at least 6-feet away from others.
– Avoid gatherings of more than 10 people.
– Support our economy by patronizing businesses that prioritize your and our community’s health and safety by following public health orders and best practices.
As a community we flattened the curve once before. We must do it again. Signed, Montana health care providers of your community