As of Sunday, March 14, 2021, Montana reports 101,760 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 58 new cases reported in the last day: 13 in Missoula County, 12 in Flathead County, 7 in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 11 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 1,040. Currently, 51 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. The most active cases are in Missoula, Gallatin, Flathead, and Yellowstone Counties. 1,392 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 534,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 29,400,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser, warned that the US could see a situation similar to that in Italy, where a surge in cases due to new variants and other issues caused a new lockdown starting Monday. Fauci said, “They had a diminution of cases. They plateaued and they pulled back on public health measures. They’ve opened restaurants. They’ve opened some of the bars. The younger people particularly stopped wearing masks. All of a sudden you have a surge that went right back up.” The CDC is still urging unvaccinated Americans to socially distance from people who don’t live in their home, wear masks and avoid crowds, measures that have been critical to slowing the spread of the deadly virus over the last year.

Ireland temporarily suspended the use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday following a report from Norway of patients developing blood clots post inoculation. The Norwegian Medicines Agency on Saturday said there were four new cases of serious blood clotting in adults after taking the vaccine. Ireland is the latest in the string of European countries who have decided to partially or fully suspend the rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Austria, Italy, and Denmark also have suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Duke University officials issued a stay-in-place order for all undergraduate students through next Sunday as the school tries to combat a rapidly escalating number of Covid-19 cases. Officials at the Durham, North Carolina, university said that more than 180 students have tested positive for CIVUD-19 and are in isolation, while another 200 are under in quarantine based on contact tracing. This is the largest one-week total of positive cases and quarantines at Duke since the pandemic began, officials said. All courses will shift to remote learning and students living on campus must stay in their room or apartment at all times outside of essential activities, such as getting food or for health or safety reasons. The outbreak has even reached into the storied men’s basketball team, which withdrew from the ACC tournament on Thursday after a positive case on the team.

The Free and Fair Coalition will host a Rainbow Rally at noon Monday in response to anti-LGBTQ bills moving through the Montana Legislature this session. The bills are attacks on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Organizers of the Rainbow Rally said lawmakers have several bills waiting for final committee votes. Senate Bill 215, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, could have a floor vote on Monday. This bill could let religious groups discriminate against LGBT+ people and others, rally organizers said. The rally will be held outside, and masks and social distancing are required.