As of Wednesday, October 27, 2021, Montana reports 174,087 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 994 new cases of coronavirus infection reported since yesterday: 226 new cases in Yellowstone County, 110 new cases in Gallatin County, 95 new cases in Cascade County, 94 new cases in Flathead County, 81 new cases in Missoula County, 62 new cases in Lewis & Clark County, and more new cases in 39 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 11,041. Currently, 463 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. 2,321 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Sixteen more people’s deaths of COVID-19 have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 739,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 45,600,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

COVID-19 vaccinations for people eligible for Moderna and Pfizer booster shots will begin next week with a mass drive-thru clinic at the Lewis and Clark County Fairgrounds in Helena. The drive-thru clinic will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday. Another clinic will take place on Nov. 9.

President Joe Biden’s administration announced Tuesday that it will cancel two environmental rollbacks instituted under former President Donald Trump that limited habitat protections for imperiled plants and wildlife.

Missoula officials say that the state of Montana is withholding COVID money. In the midst of a worsening budgetary and public health crisis due to persistently high COVID-19 case numbers, Missoula County officials are venting their exasperation at Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration’s slow pace of distributing COVID relief funds.