As of Friday, December 17, 2021, Montana reports 194,764 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 201 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 30 new cases in Flathead County, 26 new cases in Cascade County, 24 new cases in Gallatin County, 19 new cases in Missoula County, and more new cases in 19 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 1,997. Currently, 139 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 2,877 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Four more people’s death have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 802,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 50,500,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The coronavirus will hit millions of Americans in a “viral blizzard” within a few weeks as infections from the Omicron variant pile on top of Delta, an expert predicts. Coronavirus cases are increasing across the US, and at a much faster rate in parts of the Northeast, Midwest and South.

A Taylor Swift album party in Sydney, Australia, was a coronavirus superspreader event, with nearly 100 people contracting coronavirus at the event.

Money for Montana airports set aside in the infrastructure package recently passed by Democrats in Congress will come to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport and the Yellowstone Airport in West Yellowstone. Bozeman airport will receive $4.2 million and the West Yellowstone airport $1 million in 2022.