As of Thursday, September 9, 2021, Montana reports 132,750 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 1,001 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 231 new cases in Yellowstone County, 103 new cases in Flathead County, 97 new cases in Gallatin County, 92 new cases in Missoula County, 90 new cases in Cascade County, 72 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 38 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 6,784. That’s the highest active-case count since December 2020. Currently, 316 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 1,830 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Nationwide, more than 654,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 40,600,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

President Joe Biden on Thursday instituted new vaccine rules for federal workers, large employers, and health care staff in a sweeping attempt to contain the latest surge of Covid-19. The new requirements could apply to as many as 100 million Americans. All businesses with 100 or more employees must ensure their workers are either vaccinated or tested for coronavirus once a week.

Moderna, one of the pharmaceutical companies with a highly-effective coronavirus vaccine, is developing a combination COVID-19 booster and flu vaccine shot. The company hopes to have the vaccine available this fall.

Across Montana, COVID-19 outbreaks are occurring in schools just days after fall classes have begun. Schools in Four Corners outside Bozeman, in Plains, Eureka, Bigfork, and elsewhere are closing classes, postponing sporting events, quarantining students and staff and in some cases, seeing the hospitalization of sick individuals.