As of Monday, June 28, 2021, Montana reported 113,577 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 58 new cases reported in the last day: 9 new cases in Yellowstone County, 6 new cases in Cascade County, 5 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, 5 new cases in Missoula County, and more new cases in 12 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 396. Currently, 53 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. The most active cases are in Yellowstone, Cascade, Flathead, and Missoula Counties. 1,662 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 604,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 33,600,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

North Carolina State was forced to drop out of the College World Series finals because of Covid-19 illness and contacts, the NCAA announced early Saturday. North Carolina State was missing four starting position players and had only 13 of its 27 players available for its Friday game, which was delayed an hour after the NCAA said it needed time to complete “health and safety protocols.”

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a Virginia school board’s appeal to reinstate its transgender bathroom ban, handing a victory to transgender rights groups and a former high school student who fought in court for six years to overturn the ban.

Fentanyl-related deaths in Montana doubled from 2019 to 2020 and this year’s deaths have already outpaced the tally from two years ago. There were 41 fentanyl-related deaths last year, a dramatic jump from 19 deaths in 2019. This year there have been 22 fentanyl-related fatalities to date, confirmed by the state crime lab, according to a press release from the Department of Public Health and Human Services.

Yellowstone National Park had its first reported wildland fire of the year Thursday evening, with fire danger high throughout the park. The Elk Creek fire was reported by a visitor in the northern area of the park.

A daily fishing restriction is in place for the lower Madison River to reduce fish stress and mortality during high water temperatures. The hoot-owl fishing restriction, which prohibits fishing each day between 2 p.m. and midnight, applies from the dam at Ennis Lake downstream to the Madison River’s confluence with the Jefferson River at Missouri Headwaters State Park.