As of Wednesday, March 3, 2021, Montana reports 100,531 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 181 new cases reported in the last day: 33 in Gallatin County, 29 in Flathead County, 20 in Lewis & Clark County, 15 in Cascade County, 14 in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 19 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 1,657. Currently, 73 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. The most active cases are in Yellowstone, Flathead, and Gallatin Counties. 1,375 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Eighteen more deaths have been reported in the last three days. Nationwide, more than 518,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 28,800,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Montana officials have confirmed cases of a variant of COVID-19 in Gallatin County. It’s the first confirmation that the new strain of the virus has reached the state. The Department of Public Health and Human Services has confirmed three cases of the U.K. variant of the virus in samples taken from Gallatin County. Gallatin City-County Health Officer Matt Kelley said that the county is working with the state to investigate the source and timing of the specimens that showed signs of the variant. He also said the finding shouldn’t come as a surprise. The U.K. variant was identified in the fall and was first detected in the U.S. in December. It’s known to spread more easily and quickly than other variants, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Gallatin County plans to expand eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday, March 8 in line with new guidelines from the state that allow local jurisdictions to begin offering doses to adults over 60 and those 15 to 59 with specific medical conditions including asthma and liver disease, a group called Phase 1B+. In January, newly-elected Republican governor Greg Gianforte changed the vaccination plan. The first group to be vaccinated were frontline health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities — Phase 1A. The plan originally was to include adults over 70, people of color and those 16 to 69 with specific medical conditions — Phase 1B — but when the state plan changed, some essential workers, who were moved to Phase 1C, would receive the vaccine later than they would have under former Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock’s vaccination plan. With the start of Phase 1B+ on Monday, March 8, nearly half of Montanans will be eligible for a vaccine. About 16% of Montanans had received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to DPHHS. This is similar to the national rate of 15.6% reported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Some aquatic plants sold in pet stores in Montana for aquariums are infested with invasive zebra mussels, although no live mussels have been found.
The mussels have been found in multiple states attached to algae that officials are calling “moss balls,” but may sell under the retail name “Betta Buddy Marimo Ball.” Officials with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks visited pet stores across the state Wednesday and discovered mussel-infested moss balls at Petco and PetSmart stores in Missoula, Bozeman, Great Falls, Butte, Billings and Kalispell. The state has spent tens of millions of dollars to keep invasive species like quagga and zebra mussels out of Montana lakes. It is illegal to transport invasive mussels in Montana. FWP is currently focused on trying to get the product off shelves and getting word out about the problem and not focused on a potential enforcement action.