As of Tuesday, July 13, 2021, Montana reports 114,415 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 92 new cases reported since Friday: 32 new cases in Flathead County, 19 new cases in Yellowstone County, and more new cases in 17 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 453. Currently, 59 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. The most active cases are in Flathead, Yellowstone, Cascade, and Missoula Counties. 1,676 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Two more deaths have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 607,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 33,900,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

States that have terminated pandemic unemployment benefits early, like Montana, can restart the programs, but there may be a break in payments for some laid-off Americans. The guidance comes as jobless residents in more states file lawsuits to reinstate the benefits.

Bozeman Democrat Cora Neumann is running for Montana’s newly created seat in the U.S. House. She is the third Democrat to announce they’re seeking the office, joining Livingston state legislator Laurie Bishop and Missoula lawyer Monica Tranel. Republicans Ryan Zinke, the former secretary of the interior who previously held Montana’s seat in Congress, and former state Sen. Al Olszewski are also running. Neumann previously ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2020.

Two wildfires northeast of Helena continued to grow Monday, and are at 0% containment. The Balsinger fire about 7 miles west of Neihart has burned 2,500 acres and the Ellis fire along the Smith River corridor has burned 850 acres. Firefighting crews are battling a series of lightning-ignited fires in southern Musselshell and northern Yellowstone counties. The three fires—dubbed the Musselshell-Yellowstone (MY) complex fire include the Western Road fire at 905 acres and 55% containment; the Musselshell Trail Road fire, the largest of the three fires at 22,481 acres and 43% contained; and the most active of the fires, the Peterson fire, which had burned 4,369 acres and is 0% contained.