As of Friday, November 5, 2021, Montana reports 180,452 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 681 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 151 new cases in Yellowstone County, 69 new cases in Gallatin County, 64 new cases in Missoula County, 63 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, 62 new cases in Flathead County, 39 new cases in Cascade County, and more new cases in 40 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 8,705. Currently, 343 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 2,415 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Ten more people’s deaths of COVID-19 have been reported as of Friday. Nationwide, more than 752,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 46,300,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

There’s more demand for booster shots than for first doses of the coronavirus vaccine. More than 21 million people have already received a booster shot, and more than 786,000 people are getting booster shots every day now, on average.

Two new federal regulations will require large employers throughout Montana to have their workers immunized against COVID-19 by Jan. 4, although employees who refuse can take weekly coronavirus tests. One of the new regulations requires vaccinations or regular testing for employees at all businesses with 100 or more employees. It counts businesses as having 100 employees even with workers in multiple company locations. The rule does not require employers to pay for testing.

Can the Griz, the food drive for food banks before the holiday season, is starting. The rivalry between Montana State University and the University of Montana is to see which school community can collect the most donations for local food banks, with MSU hoping to reclaim the title after losing to the Griz last year.