By Monday evening, four Montanans had died from COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. At least 177 had fallen ill and 12 people around the state are hospitalized, according to information from the state.
The four people who have died include a man in his 70s from Lincoln County and a resident from Madison County.
Sunday night the Cut Bank Pioneer Press newspaper reported that Toole County resident Bev Rogers had died of COVID-19.
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And on Monday morning, in a video posted to the Toole County Health Department's Facebook page, Blair Tomsheck, who works at the health department, confirmed the second death of a resident there, bringing the statewide total to four. She did not provide information about the person's age, gender or anything else.
Last week the Marias Medical Center said employees at the Marias Heritage Center have tested positive for COVID-19. Those facilities are in Shelby, in Toole County.
“This situation also exposed others to COVID-19 and, as such, we expect that there could be other positives,” the press release said.
The Marias Heritage Center is a 40-unit retirement and assisted living facility.
Gov. Steve Bullock on Monday released a statement about the deaths and also saying the state was working to get additional resources to the county.
“Losing two more Montanans to COVID-19 is a blow to our statewide community. Today’s news is a heartbreaking reminder to us all that we must continue to do everything we can to slow the spread of this disease. Montanans in every corner of our state are keeping the family and friends of these Montanans in our hearts,” Bullock said.
Bullock's office said it was notified of the deaths Monday and is aware of the risks to the senior community in Toole County, which has six cases, and is working to deploy additional resources to the health care system. That includes sending additional personal protective equipment for health care providers and using health care staff from other areas of the state, the governor's office said Monday.
Toole County commission chair Joe Pehan said Monday that health care facilities there are on lockdown and patients and residents are not allowed out of their rooms, to help prevent the spread of the virus. Employees wear protective suits when delivering meals.
"We're taking every precaution to keep everyone safe and keep this from spreading in all our facilities," Pehan said. "The whole town, we're on the governor's shelter-in-place (order) so there isn't hardly any movement in the town of Shelby whatsoever."
Gallatin County still has the most cases in the state, by far, at 69.
Yellowstone has 28 cases; Missoula has 12; Lewis and Clark has 11; Butte- Silver Bow and Flathead each have nine; Cascade has seven; Toole has six; Madison and Lincoln have four; Park, Anaconda-Deer Lodge County, Broadwater and Lake all have three; Jefferson has two; and Ravalli, Meagher, Roosevelt and Hill all have one.
By Monday evening, COVID-19 tests for 4,411 Montanans had been processed at the state lab in Helena. That number does not include tests facilities have sent to private labs.
- Gov. Bullock on Thursday issued a shelter-in-place order, a measure meant to keep the state's 1.06 million residents at home in an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The order takes effect Saturday at 12:01 a.m.
- Got questions about what's allowed under the directive to stay at home? Read this.
- Bullock earlier issued an emergency order in Montana, and public K-12 schools closed, as have universities. Businesses like bars and gyms, where people congregate, are closed, though some can offer to-go options.
- Also this week, Bullock said counties could choose to conduct the June 2 primary election by mail.