As of Sunday, September 27, 2020, Montana reports 12,107 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 200 new cases reported in the last day: 85 in Yellowstone County, 46 in Flathead County, 18 in Roosevelt County, 17 in Gallatin County, 8 in Cascade County, 7 in Lincoln County, 5 in Glacier County, 3 in Jefferson and in Rosebud County, 2 in Madison County, and 1 in each of six more Montana counties: Dawson, Lewis & Clark, Liberty, Pondera, Richland, and Wheatland Counties. Statewide, 687 people have been hospitalized, and 148 people are currently being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. Yellowstone County has had 3,206 cases so far. Gallatin County has had 1,353. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 3,155. The most active cases are in Yellowstone County, with 904 active cases. Gallatin County has 167. 173 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 204,000 Americans have died. The US has 5% of the world’s population, and almost 25% of its coronavirus deaths. There have been 7,100,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northwest Montana is under a 14-day mandatory shut down of the entire reservation beginning Sunday, September 27, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. due to the rise in COVID-19 cases. The mandatory stay-at-home order follows recommendations by Blackfeet Public Health Officials. The tribe has a 50% positive rate of coronavirus tests. Blackfeet Community Hospital will also be going back to a Phase 1 closure. Blackfeet Indian Law Enforcement will be on full force to issue citations and fine individuals not complying with the shutdown. Of the deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Montana, 37% were Native American, even as Native Americans account for about 7% of the state’s population.

Gallatin City-County Health Officer Matt Kelley told the health board on Thursday that the coronavirus pandemic is entering a new phase. “The number of cases are increasing, the positivity rate is going up, the weather is changing and schools are reopening, creating a different atmosphere than we’ve had at other points in the pandemic,” he said. The seven-day average of new cases climbed from six per day on Sept. 14 to 18 on Thursday. Cases are also rising across Montana. The state hit a record on Thursday with 333 new cases for the day. Over the last 10 days, the number of new cases has exceeded 200 — a high for the state — on several days. Gallatin County also has ongoing outbreaks at two assisted-living facilities. One has eight active cases and has been the site of one of the county’s four COVID-19 deaths. The other has had about five cases.

Schools in the county are beginning to see cases as well. A student tested positive for COVID-19 at Belgrade High School and one student at Emily Dickinson Elementary School. Some of the recent cases of “substantial and rapid” growth are cases at Montana State University. Montana State University in Bozeman reported a 643% increase in coronavirus cases from the past week. MSU reported 66 new cases, 52 active cases, and 114 cases reported since August 1. In Gallatin County, more than 500 coronavirus cases have been reported in the age group 20-29 years old. Most recently, the most rapid increase in coronavirus cases has occurred in people aged 10-19 years old and 20-29 years old.

In Cascade County, there are 19 confirmed cases at six Great Falls Public Schools. Two each involved students or staff at C.M. Russell High, East Middle School and Meadowlark Elementary School, 10 students and one teacher at Great Falls High School and one each at Paris Gibson and Whittier Elementary schools. Three staff members had tested positive as well. There are 68 active cases at the Great Falls detention center, which also serves as a regional prison. 41 of those are in the county jail and 27 are in the state prison. 17 detention officers have tested positive in Cascade County. 15 have recovered and are back at work.