As of Saturday, May 8, 2021, Montana reports 109,889 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 162 new cases reported in the last day: 27 in Yellowstone County, 24 in Cascade County, 21 in Gallatin County, 19 in Lewis & Clark County, 15 in Flathead County, and more new cases in 25 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana has risen to 1,129, and more Montanans, 72 people, are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. The most active cases are in Yellowstone, Flathead, Cascade, and Gallatin Counties. 1,592 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Twelve more deaths have been reported in the last two days. Nationwide, more than 581,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 32,700,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

In Gallatin County, cases are still highest in people 20 to 29 years of age, followed by those 30 to 39 and then 10 to 19 years old. About 75% of critical care beds at Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital and Big Sky Medical Center are full.

Big Sky ski patrollers now have a union after a recent representation vote passed 69 to 21. The election may have been a recent event, but patrollers said it was a long time coming. Ski patrollers said one of the main reasons for unionizing was to make ski patrolling a career that can be done long-term in a place growing in population and price at the rate Big Sky is.

Republican Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill that bars transgender women from playing in women’s sports. The legislation was one of the most controversial of the Montana legislative session. Bill sponsor Whitefish Republican Rep. John Fuller said it was meant to protect women’s sports, while opponents argued it was a solution in search of a problem and is harmful to transgender Montanans, while also putting the state at risk for the loss of federal funding and the chance to host NCAA championship events.