As of Thursday, December 3, 2020, Montana reports 65,122 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 899 new cases reported in the last day: 125 in Flathead County, 99 in Gallatin County, 97 in Yellowstone County, 73 in Missoula County, 41 in Silver Bow County, 37 in Cascade County, 37 in Ravalli County, 31 in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 38 more Montana counties. Statewide, 2,762 people have been hospitalized, and 474 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 16,040. The most active cases are in Yellowstone and Flathead County, Cascade, Lewis & Clark, and Missoula Counties. 722 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nine more deaths have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 274,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 14,000,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The United States logged 14 million Covid-19 cases Wednesday just hours after setting three new, grim records: the highest number of daily deaths, the highest number of new infections and the highest number of hospitalizations since the pandemic began. The country registered nearly 205,000 new cases of Covid-19 on the same day, a figure that comes just a month after the U.S. single-day record topped 100,000 cases for the first time. More people than ever are hospitalized with COVID-19. The Covid Tracking Project reported that more than 100,000 people were hospitalized across the country. Health experts are bracing for a possible surge in travel-related cases following Thanksgiving. Cases stemming from the holiday are likely to be apparent about a week to 10 days later. CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield had a dire prediction for the winter months. “I actually believe they’re going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation,” he said. Much like it did before Thanksgiving, the CDC is recommending people cancel plans to travel for the December holidays.

Public health officials hope to vaccinate as many people as possible to turn the tide of the coronavirus pandemic once a vaccine becomes available — even those who have already recovered from Covid-19. And while it isn’t yet known how the immune systems of Covid-19 survivors respond to a vaccine — particularly among coronavirus “long-haulers,” whose symptoms linger weeks and months after their diagnoses — there is likely to be little risk in getting the shot. Covid-19 reinfections are thought to be rare, but if natural antibody levels wane over time, it may be possible for a person to become infected more than once. Doctors and infectious disease experts agree that most people should get vaccinated, even if they may have natural protective immunity. In most survivors, a vaccine might even enhance immunity from the initial infections. It’s a precaution with some precedent. Healthy adults over age 50 are still advised to get the shingles vaccine even if they have had chickenpox or shingles before.

A couple who tested positive for Covid were arrested after boarding a flight to Hawaii. The state of Hawaii implemented a travel requirement a month ago requiring visitors to test negative for coronavirus before traveling there. The couple “knowingly boarded a flight in San Francisco, aware of their positive COVID-19 test results, placing the passengers of the flight in danger of death,” a Kauai police spokeswoman said. The couple were arrested on second-degree reckless endangerment charges.

Montana farmers and ranchers have until Friday, December 11 to get signed up for the USDA’s second Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which offers financial help to producers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The assistance program has distributed more than $11 billion to more than 700,000 producers in the US. Over 300 commodities are eligible for CFAP 2 and producers have several options for applying for the program by Dec. 11. For more information, visit your local FSA office or www.farmers.gov