MontanaPBS to live stream COVID-19 special at 7 tonight

Press release

MontanaPBS will continue with the fourth installation of its live broadcast special "Answering Questions About Coronavirus" tonight at 7.

The program will be available to view on-air, online via http://montanapbs.org/live and on the MontanaPBS Facebook page.

During the special program, host John Twiggs will hold a conversation via video conference with State Medical Officer Dr. Greg Holzman; Jim Murphy, Montana chief epidemiologist, DPHHS Communicable Disease Bureau; Ben Thomas, director, Montana Department of Agriculture and Patrick Barkey, director, Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana.

Rural health care providers are on the front lines of the COVID-19 disaster, as communities along the Hi-Line grapple with an influx of patients sickened with the virus. MontanaPBS' Jackie Coffin checks in with area health care centers to see how they are handling the COVID-19 crisis.

In addition, while public schools have been closed for weeks, their essential service as a food source for students continues across the state. MontanaPBS' Breanna McCabe shows how schools have mobilized to serve students at home.

Phone operators will be available to take questions from audience members who call 1-888-828-5876. Viewers can also submit questions via Facebook by following MontanaPBS or emailing [email protected].

The broadcast is anticipated to last 60 minutes. Additional resources, web links and previous episodes are available at http://montanapbs.org/covid19 .

MontanaPBS will also air "Coronavirus Pandemic," a special report from "Frontline," which will air Tuesday, April 21 at 8 p.m. The program will cover the U.S. government response to the coronavirus and the human toll of COVID-19. The two-part hour investigates the federal response versus that of Washington state, the outbreak's U.S. epicenter; and in the Midwest, how the outbreak impacts poor children.

PBS Newshour is also providing ongoing coverage of COVID-19. A full list of the latest reporting is available at htp://pbs.org/newshour .