As of Monday, December 7, 2020, Montana reports 68,591 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 720 new cases reported in the last day: 213 in Yellowstone County, 77 in Flathead County, 75 in Lewis & Clark County, 71 in Cascade County, 54 in Missoula County, 40 in Silver Bow County, and more new cases in 28 more Montana counties. Statewide, 2,875 people have been hospitalized, and 492 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 17,197. The most active cases are in Yellowstone, Flathead, Cascade, and Lewis & Clark Counties. 742 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 283,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 14,900,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

A former Alabama state senator died of COVID three days ago, and in his last words warned, ‘We messed up’. Former Sen. Larry Dixon, 78, a Republican who also served as the executive director of the Alabama Board of Medical Examiners, died from Covid-19 on Dec. 4. His last words were, “We let our guards down. Please tell everybody to be careful. This is real, and if you get diagnosed, get help immediately,” former Sen. Larry Dixon said. Dixon’s doctor, David Thrasher, said his friend was exposed to the virus at a social gathering “with a couple of guys” that was hosted outside about two weeks ago. Dr. Thrasher said he was unsure how many people attended, but he said he knew of two other men who attended the meetup and tested positive. Thrasher treated Dixon for early Covid-19 symptoms a few days after the social gathering. As Dixon’s condition worsened, the former senator was placed on a ventilator. He died a few days later. Dixon’s wife, Gaynell also tested positive for Covid-19 last week and is still recovering. Dixon’s two daughters also contracted the virus earlier this year.

There were 1,298 coronavirus cases associated with MSU this fall semester, and the university steadily reported more than 100 new cases each week, with 265 new cases reported in one week in early November. Almost all of the cases were in people aged 18-30. MSU set aside a number of dorms for students who tested positive for the virus or were a close contact and needed to quarantine. Gallatin City County health officer Matt Kelley said safe, isolated housing for students on campus was critical, and it was used throughout the semester. But keeping up with the need posed a challenge as the semester went along and cases increased. “There was a period of time right towards the end of the term where the capacity of the system was being pushed, and that was concerning,” Kelley said. the university is looking at ways to expand the quarantine and isolation housing capacity for the spring semester. the university was preparing for in-person classes when the spring semester starts in January. But health officer Kelley warns that as difficult as the fall semester was, the spring is going to be even more challenging. The university started the fall semester in August with a fairly low number of cases throughout the county, but cases will continue to increase through December and early January.

The House and Senate Joint Rules Committee of the Montana Legislature met on Monday to determine how to conduct the legislative session, which begins January 4, as COVID-19 cases continue to threaten economic recovery and as hospitals across the state near or exceed capacity. Democratic Legislators Urged Republicans to Mitigate the spike in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Republicans on the Joint Rules Committee of the State Legislature failed to take action on measures that to reduce the spread of COVID-19 during the 2021 session. Democrats proposed recommendations that follow CDC guidelines as well as Governor-Elect Gianforte’s own stated wishes. Gianforte said last week he intends to wear a mask in the Capitol and encouraged others to do so. Other measures proposed by Democrats in the House and Senate included an amendment to conduct the session virtually or to delay the session until a vaccine is readily available to first responders, doctors, nurses, and the general public.