As of Friday, January 14, 2022, Montana reached a grim milestone: the highest number of daily cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. Montana reports 212,078 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 2,177 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 471 new cases in Gallatin County, 457 new cases in Yellowstone County, 306 new cases in Flathead County, 201 new cases in Missoula County, 145 new cases in Cascade County, and more new cases in 41 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 11,448. Currently, 195 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 2,945 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Ten more people’s deaths have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 846,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 64,100,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

As omicron coronavirus cases continue to spike in Montana and across the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is being urged to gather more information about how well at-home Covid-19 tests are able to detect the variant.

The Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs, the only state-run psychiatric hospital in Montana, has a COVID-19 outbreak. Forty-three cases have been confirmed among staff and patients.

The Montana Department of Corrections’ COVID-19 dashboard incorrectly tallied no new cases for more three months late last year, even while testing revealed nearly 80 cases within the state’s prison facilities. 99 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed among inmates and prison employees since Dec. 28.