As of Tuesday, November 3, 2020, Montana reports 35,159 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with the third-highest record number of new cases, 909, reported in the last day: 136 in Gallatin County, 133 in Cascade County, 94 in Toole County, 78 in Yellowstone County, 67 in Missoula County, 64 in Flathead County, 37 in Glacier County, 37 in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 31 more Montana counties. Statewide, 1,384 people have been hospitalized, and 389 people currently are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. There are 12,770 active coronavirus cases in Montana, and 400 more than yesterday. Since Oct. 1, the number of active cases in Montana have nearly tripled. The most active cases are in Yellowstone County, Cascade County, and Gallatin County, and Missoula County. 399 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. 13 more people died in the past day. More than half of all the deaths in Montana caused by COVID-19 occurred in October. More Montanans have died of COVID in just the last week than died of the flu all last year. Nationwide, more than 232,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 9,420,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

On Monday, Bozeman Public Schools resumed five days a week of in-person classes, and after just that first day, Irving Elementary moved to remote learning for the entire school on Tuesday, after an Irving staff member tested positive for COVID-19. The district said the school would be closed to in-person learning Tuesday due to the number of staff members involved and the need for further contract tracing. In earlier emails the Bozeman district sent to parents, it said social distancing would be impossible with full classes and to expect class and even school disruptions due to quarantines and staff shortages. On Monday, the district reported 37 adult staff and 269 students were in quarantine, in the highest quarantine count since the district began reporting the numbers in September.

The Gallatin County health board will consider new restrictions on businesses and gatherings in response amid the current coronavirus surge. The health department wrote that “rapid, widespread, and sustained increases” in new virus cases, hospitalizations and outbreaks in nursing homes is pushing hospitals around the state to near or full capacity, and is driving up the number of deaths caused by the virus. In Gallatin County, coronavirus cases have surged again, with new case numbers reaching the third highest daily total on Tuesday. If approved, the mandatory closing time for bars, tasting rooms, distilleries, casinos and restaurants would be moved from 12:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Group sizes at tables would be limited to six people, and high-risk businesses like gyms, fitness centers, bars, restaurants, distilleries and casinos would have to limit patron numbers to 50% capacity. Indoor and outdoor group gatherings would be limited to no more than 25 people, regardless of physical distancing. Exceptions would include houses of worship and other places where sufficient social distancing is feasible.

Butte’s Continental Care and Rehabilitation skilled nursing facility is the site of a COVID-19 outbreak. 29 residents and 10 staff members have tested positive for the virus, and 5 facility residents have died due to COVID-19 so far.

Yellowstone County finished October with 3,572 COVID-19 infections. That’s more cases in just one month than the county reported from June through September, according to Yellowstone County Health Officer John Felton, who said, “At some point, nearly 3,600 people should have been isolated. If each of those individuals had just 4 close contacts, nearly 14,400 people should have been quarantined last month. In total, about 18,000 Yellowstone County residents were either isolated or quarantined for some part of October. That is nearly the population of Belgrade and Havre combined,” Felton said. Big Horn County reported another death on Monday, which brings the county death total 40 people. Big Horn County has about 13,000 residents, but just in October has had 17 people die as a result of COVID-19.