CDC Announces New Mask Guidelines

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday, May 13, that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 don’t have to wear masks indoors and they no longer need to social distance.

People with compromised immune systems should consult with their doctor before going without a mask, even if fully vaccinated, the CDC said.

The CDC noted on its website: * If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.

* Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations including local business and workplace guidance.

* If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, find a vaccine.

If you travel, you should still take steps to protect yourself and others. You will still be required to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation.

Area Statistics

As of Thursday, May 13, Roosevelt County has four active cases and two current hospitalizations. There have been 55 COVID-related deaths reported in the county.

As of Monday, May 17, Valley County’s active count was one. There have been 906 total cases and 18 reported COVID-reported deaths.

Daniels County had zero active cases as of Monday, May 17. The county has 189 recovered cases and 197 cumulative cases. Eight deaths have occurred due to COVID-19 and/or complications. There are no cases currently hospitalized.

In McCone County, there are no active cases as of Monday, May 17. There are 183 recovered cases. There has been one COVID-related death in the county.

The Phillips County Health Department was reporting three active cases as of Thursday, May 6. Five hundred and eight cases are listed as recovered. There have been 17 reported COVID-related deaths. For Richland County, there are three active cases and 1,218 recovered cases as of Thursday, May 13. Total deaths are 17. There have been 1,238 total cases.

Statewide

According to Montana health officials, the state’s total number of known cases now stands at 110,723 since the start of the pandemic. There have been 1,344,000 tests conducted.

Around the state, there are 1,055 active cases. There are 63 active hospitalizations. By Tuesday, May 18, a total of 1,598 deaths have been reported statewide. A total of 108,070 people are listed as recovered.

Though there is no state mask mandate, local jurisdictions may still choose to implement their own mask requirements. Gianforte emphasized how providing incentives and encouraging personal responsibility are more effective than imposing unenforceable government mandates.

In keeping with Gianforte’s Jan. 13 directive which removed restrictions on hours of service and capacity for businesses, the latest directive continues to encourage businesses to adopt industry best practices or public health guidance to protect their employees and customers. The directive also continues to promote the use of telehealth services, protect vulnerable Montanans from eviction or foreclosure, ease of licensing for health care professionals and a reduction in regulatory burdens.

Vaccine Doses

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services’ dashboard features county by county breakdown as far as vaccination numbers.

In Roosevelt County, 4,958 total doses have been administered. There have been 2,333 fully immunizations.

As of Monday, May 17, 771,705 total doses have been administered in Montana. There are 369,505 fully immunized Montanans.

The dashboard can be found at https://www.arcgis. com/apps/MapSeries/ index.html?appid=7c-34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b.