Governor Gianforte Says Stay Tuned For Mask Mandate Repeal
Roosevelt County Reports 14 Active Cases
During a press conference at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte revised the vaccination plan and stated he wanted to move from directives to incentives.
Gianforte said at the press conference that no changes will be made to mask mandate restrictions at present, despite signals that a repeal is in the works.
He said he will be willing to repeal the mask mandate when vaccines are distributed to the vulnerable and relevant legislation crosses his desk involving incentives, rather than restrictions, for business owners.
He said the guiding principals for moving forward will include protecting the vulnerable and creating incentives for business owners and other organizations.
Gianforte said he would not oppose local authorities in their respective efforts to apply and enforce COVID-19 related rules and restrictions.
Montana is currently ranked eighth in the nation for distribution of the vaccines. Montana has received 36,000 first doses of COVID-19 vaccines and additional 41,000 first doses are expected. The governor also noted that 23,000 Montanans have received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday, Jan. 4.
Gianforte said he hopes to continue with vulnerable populations over the coming weeks.
He told reporters to stay tuned for more news about efforts to repeal restrictions. He said the timeline for repeal would be a matter of “weeks not months.”
Regarding the safety of the available vaccines, Gianforte said, “I’m confident that we have a safe and effective vaccine.”
Gianforte moved away from Centers for Disease Control guidelines regarding eligibility for early rounds of the vaccine. He has abandoned 1A, 1B and 1C categories in lieu of prioritizing vaccinations for those who are most vulnerable, including residents over the age of 70 and those ages 16-69 with underlying health conditions. This information was released at press time, after page 4 in this week’s issue was completed.
Vaccination plans for Montana are being revised by the Montana Department of Health and Human Services and will take effect immediately.
“I’ll be clear,” said Gianforte, “we are not out of the woods yet.”
Area Statistics
As of Monday, Jan. 4, Roosevelt County has 14 active cases. There have been 51 total COVID-related deaths in the county.
In McCone County, there is one active case. There have been 144 confirmed cases and 143 are listed as recovered.
As of Monday, Jan. 4, Valley County’s active count was seven. Valley County reported seven deaths due to COVID-19 and/or complications.
Daniels County had two active cases as of Tuesday, Jan. 5. The county has 133 recovered cases and 140 cumulative cases. Five deaths have occurred due to COVID-19 and/or complications. There are no cases currently hospitalized.
The Phillips County Health Department was reporting 19 active cases as of Monday, Jan. 4. Four hundred and seven cases are listed as recovered. There is one active hospitalization. There have been 12 deaths.
For Richland County, there are 19 active cases and 1,005 recovered cases as of Monday, Jan. 4. Total deaths are 13. There are more than 50 plus contacts being monitored.
Statewide
According to Montana health officials, a total of 810,880 tests have been conducted statewide since the start of the pandemic.
The state’s total number of known cases now stands at 82,664 since the start of the pandemic.
Around the state, there are 5,056 active cases. There’s been a total of 3,650 hospitalizations with 191 active hospitalizations.
By Tuesday, Jan. 5, 975 deaths have been reported statewide. A total of 76,633 people are listed as recovered.
Outgoing Governor Steve Bullock’s directive requires face masking in any indoor space, open to the public, is mandatory for people ages 5 years and older. For children 2-4 years of age, face coverings are strongly encouraged. A drape may be used for babies. Restaurants, bars, breweries, distilleries and casinos are limited to 50 percent capacity and must close by 10 p.m. Public gatherings where social distancing isn’t possible or practiced will be limited to 25 people.
County sheriffs and other law enforcement across the state have said that the mask mandate is not enforceable and violations should not be called into 911.
Flu Shots
Area health officials are stressing that flu shots are more important this year than ever because the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to keep the community safe, health officials offer advice and information on these two infections are related.
COVID-19 and the flu are each highly contagious respiratory infections, but have some key differences. They are caused by different viruses. COVID-19 is more infectious, and there is a vaccine to prevent the flu. There are some symptom similarities between the two, which may make it difficult to determine which illness you have if you are experiencing symptoms such as fever, fatigue, cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, vomiting and diarrhea. Flu can be a more mild illness than COVID-19, and COVID-19 symptoms also can include loss of taste or smell. It may be necessary to receive testing to determine which illness you are experiencing.
To get a flu shot, make an appointment with the Roosevelt County Health Department or make an appointment with your primary care provider.
Flu shots are available at the following locations: Roosevelt County Health Department, Chief Redstone IHS Clinic in Wolf Point, Verne E. Gibbs IHS Clinic in Poplar, Listerud Rural Health Clinic in Wolf Point, Riverside Clinic in Poplar and Roosevelt Medical Clinic in Culbertson.
Vaccines are covered by health insurance, Medicaid and Medicare. If you don’t have health insurance, call the health department for assistance at 653-6223.
Area Schools
Local health officials approved the Wolf Point School District to reopen four days a week (Plan A) starting Monday, Nov. 2. Classes began on that day for Wolf Point High School, Wolf Point Junior High School and Northside Elementary Schools. Classes resumed at Southside Elementary on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
For Frontier Elementary School, students in grades K, 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7 will have inschool learning on Wednesday, Jan. 6. Students in grades K, 1, 2, 4 and 8 will attend in-school learning on Thursday, Jan. 7. Students in grades K-4 will attend on Friday, Jan. 8. Fifth grade will not be in school or distance learning this week due to a positive case of COVID and lack of staffing.
The Frazer School returned to in-class instruction Oct. 5. Students are offered the optout option.
Brockton School had students return to classes on Monday, Oct. 19. There are a few students listed as opt-out.
Poplar High School students returned to classes on Monday, Nov. 2, with the option of staying remote. Students in middle school and elementary are still distance learning. The tentative plan is for middle school and elementary students to return to classes on Jan. 20.
Fort Peck Tribes
The Fort Peck Tribes moved to Phase 1 Tuesday, Sept. 29. Phase 1 puts non-essential employees and residents on the reservation under stay at home orders and limits gatherings to 10 people or fewer. All households are being asked to maintain 6 feet distance, wear masks and sanitize.
Roosevelt Medical Center
Roosevelt Medical Center posted the following information via social media: “In-person visitations are not being scheduled this week due to the Roosevelt County positivity rate exceeding 10 percent.” COVID-19 & Mental Health
The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing response have brought many changes to our lives. Across the world, reports are coming in on how this pandemic affects mental health. These effects include increased stress, fear, anxiety and worry. The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the State of Montana, among many others, have begun providing guidance and materials on how to cope with the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. From healthcare workers to caregivers to children to individuals in isolation, COVID-19 is affecting everyone, including residents of Roosevelt County. Unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as increased tobacco or alcohol use, can put yourself and those around you at increased risk.
If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis, seek immediate help: Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255, the Crisis Text Line can be reached by texting “MT” to 741-741, Eastern Montana Mental Health Center Toll Free Crisis Phone Line: 800-597-6608, or call 911. If you or a loved one are experiencing a substance use issue, reach out to the following for help: SAMHSA’s National Helpline: 800-662-HELP (4357) and TTY 800-487-4889, Eastern Montana Community Mental Health Center 653-1872.
For more information, visit the RCHD Facebook page or covid19.mt.gov or the CDC’s Coping with Stress page, www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/ 2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/ managing-stress-anxiety. html.
