COVID-19 Numbers On Decline In Montana

On Jan. 11, Moderna, the company that produced the COVID-19 vaccine being used in Roosevelt County and on the Fort Peck Reservation, announced that protection from its vaccine should last a year. It will take a year for the statement to be proven, but this is welcome news as vaccination continues in our area and around the world.

•Roosevelt County Health Department is utilizing an appointment system for COVID-19 vaccine distribution. People from all phases of the Montana immunization plan are encouraged to sign up in either of the following ways:

•Call RCHD at 406-653-6223 or 406-653-6124.

•Go to the Roosevelt County Health Department Facebook page, click on the signup link and complete the information.

•When vaccine is available for your phase, you will be called with an appointment time and place for your vaccination.

The current group of people being vaccinated fall under Phase 1B as follows:

•Persons aged 70 years and older.

American Indians and other people of color who may be at elevated risk for COVID-19 complications.

Persons aged 16-69 with high-risk medical conditions. Qualifying medical conditions include: cancer; chronic kidney disease; COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease); Down Syndrome; heart conditions, such as heart failure, coronary artery disease or cardiomyopathies; immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) from solid organ transplant; severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m2); Sickle cell disease; Type 1 and 2 Diabetes mellitus. On a case-by-case basis, medical providers may include individuals with other conditions that place them at elevated risk for COVID-19 related complications.

As COVID-19 vaccines become available to the public, basic public health measures will still be needed to slow the spread. Even after vaccination, people in our communities will need to wear masks, practice social distancing, wash hands, and avoid crowds as these measures prevent exposure to the virus. Vaccines can protect a person after exposure to the virus, but not being exposed in the first place remains critically important to disease prevention.

If you have questions about COVID-19 or the vaccine, email covid19taskforce@rooseveltcounty. org.

Area Statistics

As of Jan. 24, Roosevelt County has 28 active cases. There have been 53 total COVID-related deaths in the county. There is one current hospitalization.

As of Monday, Jan. 25, Valley County’s active count was 20. Valley County reported 10 deaths due to COVID-19 and/ or complications. There have been 700 recovered cases.

Daniels County had 11 active cases as of Monday, Jan. 25. The county has 166 recovered cases and 182 cumulative cases. Five deaths have occurred due to COVID-19 and/or complications. There are two cases currently hospitalized.

In McCone County, there were two active cases as of Monday, Jan. 25. There are 155 recovered cases.

The Phillips County Health Department was reporting 20 active cases as of Monday, Jan. 25. Four hundred and thirty-five cases are listed as recovered. There are two active hospitalizations and 14 deaths.

For Richland County, there are 19 active cases and 1,070 recovered cases as of Monday, Jan. 25. Total deaths are 13. There are more than 50 plus contacts being monitored.

Statewide

According to Montana health officials, the state’s total number of known cases now stands at 91,816 since the start of the pandemic. There have been 920,116 tests conducted.

Around the state, there are 4,391 active cases. There are 129 active hospitalizations.

By Tuesday, Jan. 26, a total of 1,151 deaths have been reported statewide. A total of 86,274 people are listed as recovered.

Several health mandates for Montana put into effect by former Gov. Steve Bullock were removed by new Gov. Greg Gianforte Jan. 15.

Restaurants, bars, breweries, distilleries and casinos no longer have to close at 10 p.m. Gianforte encourages businesses to follow public health guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, but the governor removed capacity limits for businesses.

Former Gov. 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. The mask mandate in Montana stays in effect, at least, for now.

In an earlier press conference, Gianforte 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.

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, classes are back in session. For Jan. 25-29, students in grades K-2 and 5-8 will attend Monday through Friday. Third-grade students will attend Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Fourth-grade students will attend Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Dismissal is 3:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 2:30 p.m. on Friday.

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. The school has amended its basketball attendance policy. Visiting teams will still be limited to two guests per player. Brockton fans will no longer be limited to two guests per player. Any Brockton guests may attend the games up until the gym reaches 75 percent of capacity.

Poplar High School students returned to classes on Monday, Nov. 2, with the option of staying remote. All students will attend daily, Monday-Thursday, during the second semester. Fridays will be for individual student, scheduled interventions and/ or small group help including remote learners.

Fort Peck Tribes

Fort Peck Tribes are now in a modified phase 2 reopening. Starting on Jan. 15, all tribal employees returned to work from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Tribal casinos have reopened from 9 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. at 50 percent capacity.

No gathering of 30 or more people is allowed. Curfew is 12:30 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. 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 tex- ting “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.