As of Sunday, August 16, 2020, Montana reports 5,750 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 92 new cases reported in the last day: 35 in Yellowstone County, 9 in Big Horn County, 7 in each of Flathead County, Rosebud, and Sanders Counties, 6 in Missoula County, 5 in Roosevelt County, 3 in Gallatin County, 2 in each of Lewis & Clark, Richland, and Silver Bow Counties, and 1 in each of Cascade, Glacier, Madison, Park, Phillips, Sweet Grass, and Toole Counties. Statewide, 326 people have been hospitalized, and 90 are currently being treated in the hospital for COVID-19. Yellowstone County has had 1,522 cases so far, and Gallatin County has had 977. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 1,523. The most active cases are in Yellowstone County, with 637 active cases, while Gallatin County has 44 active cases. 82 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 169,000 Americans have died. There have been 5.2 million COVID-19 cases in the United States, and counting.

Virus testing in the U.S. has fallen for the first time since the start of the pandemic, a sign that the nation’s response has stalled. Nearly 750,000 were tested in July, but now tens of thousands fewer are being tested. By some estimates, several million people may need to be tested each day to rein in the virus, including many who don’t feel sick. The troubling trend of fewer tests may reflect that the nation has yet to build a robust system to test vast portions of the population, not just those seeking tests.

The state of Illinois has passed a law making it a felony to assault a retail worker who is enforcing face mask rules. The new law in Illinois expands the definition of aggravated battery to include attacks against a retail worker who is conveying public health guidance, such as requiring patrons to wear face coverings or promoting social distancing. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said, “It’s clear there is still an even greater need to get people to wear masks – especially to protect front line workers, whether they’re at the front of a store asking you to put on your mask or whether they’re responding to 911 calls to save those in distress.” The aggravated battery charge is a felony that can result in a sentence of up to five years in prison – or up to 10 years depending on factors such as the individual’s criminal history – and fines up to $25,000. Illinois’ new law, effective immediately, also increases disability pay for emergency workers affected by COVID-19, including firefighters, law enforcement officers and paramedics.

Gov. Steve Bullock has extended the state’s face mask requirement to include public and private schools, kindergarten through 12th grade, in schools in counties with four or more active COVID-19 cases. He said encouraging students to wear masks was not enough, and that schools will be more successful in their reopenings if they require face coverings.