142 more COVID-19 cases in state, 11 in Phillips County

The state added 142 confirmed cases of COVID-19 early Thursday, one death and 11 more reports of the respiratory illness in Phillips County.

There were five more confirmed reports added in Glacier County and three in Cascade County.

The state now has 5,407 confirmed reports of COVID-19. Of those, 3,937 are recovered and 1,389 are active. There are 81 deaths. The state reports 101 people are hospitalized out of 315 hospitalizations.

The latest death occurred Wednesday. It was a man in his 60s who died in a Yellowstone County hospital. RiverStone Health, Yellowstone County’s public health department, said it was the 32nd COVID-19 related death in the county.

The coronavirus has been confirmed in all but two -- Carter and Petroleum – of Montana’s 56 counties. The first case was reported March 11. There have been 197,820 tests administered, which is 1,784 more than what was reported Wednesday.

In the span of slightly more than a week, Phillips County, which has a population of about 4,000, has gone from zero cases to 78, and 64 of those cases remain active, according to covid19.mt.gov.

Gov. Steve Bullock on Wednesday said Phillips County was an example of the state not learning to live with the virus in our presence, saying numbers ballooned there following a sporting event that included a visit to bars. He also mentioned the Phillips County Fair and other social events.

Yellowstone County reported 37 new cases on Thursday. Big Horn had 13, Gallatin County had 12 and Phillips County had 11.

Missoula County had 10, Dawson, Flathead and Valley counties each had seven and Glacier, Lewis and Clark and Rosebud each had five. Fergus had four, Beaverhead, Cascade and Park each had three. Carbon County had two and Granite, Lincoln, Ravalli, Richland, Rosebud, Sanders, Silver Bow and Stillwater each had one.

Cascade County now has 58 active cases, 108 recoveries and four deaths. Glacier County has 16 active cases, 65 recoveries and one death, the state said.

The governor on Wednesday also extended his July 15 mask requirement to include public and private kindergarten through 12th grade schools in counties with four or more active COVID-19 cases.

He said encouraging students to wear masks was not enough. And he said schools would be more successful in their reopenings if they recovered face coverings.

His announcement was met later with criticism from state school Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, who said she was told nine minutes before the news conference of the governor's decision, and she said some districts had already drafted plans.

"School districts and communities will now have to go back to the drawing board," she said.

Melissa Perry, a spokeswoman for the governor, told the Associated Press that when consulted, Arntzen refused to give guidance on mask usage in schools.

The governor on Wednesday also directed $10 million in Coronavirus Relief Funds to create the Live Entertainment Grant Program to help the live entertainment industry. It will provide up to 25% of the 2019 gross revenue of a business or a maximum of $1 million per applicant. The program is available to Montana-based businesses and nonprofits in the live entertainment business, and whose revenues primarily come from live entertainment events.

Applications will be evaluated on a first-come first-serve basis and is now open at covidrelief.mt.gov.

And Bullock announced grants for businesses located along the east edge of Glacier National Park, which have been hit hard by the pandemic due to closures on that side of the park.

Tourism-reliant businesses in the east edge of Glacier National Park may be eligible to apply for a grant for up to 25% of their 2019 gross revenue or up to $40,000. The businesses must be along the eastern edge of Glacier National Park, St. Mary or Babb and must be Montana based. The application will be available next week on covidrelief.mt.gov, officials said.

Bullock on Wednesday discussed the newest COVID-19 numbers in Montana and how the state can reopen without limitations, or Phase 3. He said one way is to develop a vaccine or to learn to live the virus in our presence.

"And learning to live with a virus in our presence, it isn't ignoring or denying or thinking it will somehow magically disappear some day," he said, adding it meant living in a way of acknowledging its significant risk and acting to mitigate the risk.

The Associated Press contributed to this story. Reporter Phil Drake is our eye on the state capitol. For tips, suggestions or comment, he can be reached at 406-231-9021 or pdrake@greatfallstribune.com.