As of Wednesday, October 13, 2021, Montana reports 162,240 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 1,346 new cases of coronavirus infection reported over the weekend: 215 new cases in Yellowstone County, 179 new cases in Gallatin County, 123 new cases in Lake County, 115 new cases in Missoula County, 108 new cases in Flathead County, 106 new cases in Cascade County, and more new cases in 39 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 12,160. Currently, 510 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 2,109 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Fourteen more people have died of COVID-19 in Montana since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 718,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 44,600,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

About 64 million people who receive Social Security benefits will begin to receive a bigger check from the federal government in January. The Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that recipients will receive a nearly 6 percent increase in benefits next year.

The United States will open its northern and southern borders to allow fully vaccinated legal travelers to enter the country from Canada and Mexico. Beginning early next month, nonessential travelers, such as those entering for tourism or to visit family members, will be required to show proof of COVID vaccination to Customs and Border Protection officers when they cross land borders.

An outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease or EHD is killing whitetail deer in Eastern Montana. Over the last several weeks, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has received reports of dead or dying white-tailed deer along Eastern Montana’s river drainages. In northeast Montana, the western extent of the disease appears to be along the Milk River near Saco, then east along the Milk and Missouri rivers to North Dakota, with varying degrees of whitetail deer mortality.