As of Thursday, June 4, 2020, Montana reports 539 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with fourteen new cases reported in the last day: eight in Gallatin County, five in Big Horn County, and one in Yellowstone County. The new cases in Gallatin County are mostly in young people: two people in their 20s, four people in their 30s, a man in his 60s; and a woman in her 80s. Statewide, 68 people have been hospitalized, and one person is currently being treated in the hospital for COVID-19. There have been 163 cases so far in Gallatin County.

The coronavirus pandemic is ebbing in some of the countries that were hit hard early on, but the number of new cases is growing faster than ever worldwide, with more than 100,000 reported each day. On May 30, more new cases were reported in a single day worldwide than ever before: 134,064. The increase has been driven by emerging hot spots in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Montana will expand statewide testing for COVID-19, including more testing for asymptomatic individuals. The first site for testing is in Helena, drive-through testing will be conducted at PureView Health Center on Saturday June 6, and Saturday June 13 from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. This kind of screening test is for people who do not have symptoms and do not have any known exposure to COVID. The hope is that this screening will give public health officials a better idea of the prevalence of COVID-19 in local communities and the state. The testing is completely free to the individual and paid for by the State of Montana.

Unlike the deep nasal swab test currently conducted on suspected COVID patients after a recommendation from their doctor, this testing is noninvasive. It requires only a swab of the lower nostril. The asymptomatic swab is done by an individual with a medical professional present. It is about a 5-day turnaround for results, and everyone tested will be informed about what their results are.