Updated 5:09 p.m. MDT, March 30, 2020
According to the Montana Response COVID-19 tracking map, Montana confirms 177 cases of COVID-19 as of Monday afternoon.
The previously reported total Monday morning was 171.
Gallatin County continues to report the most cases, now up to 69. According to the Gallatin City-County Health Department, none of the COVID-19 patients in the county are hospitalized.
A second death was reported Sunday, when a Madison County resident who had tested positive for COVID-19 died on Saturday, Mar. 28, 2020.
On Monday morning, health officials confirmed two deaths in Toole County, bringing the total number of deaths in the state to four.
Montana is currently under a "stay at home" order due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Total Cases by County are as follows: Gallatin County - 69 Cases; Yellowstone County - 28 Cases; Missoula County - 12 Cases; Lewis and Clark County - 11 Cases; Silver Bow County - 9 Cases; Flathead County - 9 Cases; Cascade County - 7 Cases; Toole County - 6 Cases; Madison County - 4 Cases; Lincoln County - 4 Cases; Park County - 3 Cases; Deer Lodge County - 3 Cases; Broadwater County - 3 Cases; Lake County - 3 Cases; Jefferson County - 2 Cases; Ravalli County - 1 Cases; Meagher County - 1 Cases; Roosevelt County - 1 Cases; Hill County - 1 Cases
Public health officials know that the number of cases is likely substantially higher than the number of confirmed cases. As of Monday afternoon, the public health laboratory in Helena has completed 4,411 tests.
The "recovery rate" for Montana has not yet been determined, as COVID-19 is still relatively new in our state and there is not enough data to calculate an accurate rate at this point.
- NOTE: Some confirmed cases are being re-assigned to other counties - for instance, a Glacier County case was re-assigned to Toole County, because the patient was tested and treated in Glacier County (Cut Bank), but actually lives in Toole County. That has happened in several cases. We know that it can be confusing - we are trying to keep things as accurate as possible as the situation changes.
"STAY HOME" ORDER: Governor Steve Bullock on Thursday afternoon issued a directive requiring Montanans to stay home and temporarily closes all nonessential businesses and operations as efforts to curtail the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) continue. The order goes into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, March 28. Click here for complete details.
The order will be in effect through Friday, April 10, and requires all businesses and operations in Montana, except for essential businesses and operations as defined in the directive, to stop all activities within the state. The Directive also prohibits all public and private gatherings of any number of people occurring outside a household or place of residence.
The order does not prohibit restaurants from continuing to offer take-out, curb-side, and delivery service.
Here's a list of Bozeman-area and Butte-area restaurants offering services.
Employees who are not sure if they are considered essential should talk with their manager/business owner. Business owners with questions can call at 1-800-755-6672 and leave messages 24-hours a day and will receive a prompt response, according to Bullock. *CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL TEXT OF THE DIRECTIVE*