Three more local COVID-19- related deaths confirmed

Hill County Health Department reported Wednesday evening that three more COVID-19-related deaths were confirmed in the county as the state had a new record in new COVID-19 cases confirmed at 735.

That brings Hill County’s death toll from the pandemic to 10 cases.

The only other COVID-19-related deaths in this region so far are two confirmed in Blaine County.

Hill County, and Liberty County, each had one case confirmed in March and no new cases were confirmed there or in Blaine or Chouteau counties until new cases were confirmed in Hill County July 4. Since then the number of confirmations has climbed.

Hill County Health Department’s Wednesday report said 25 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the county by that time, bringing the total number of cases in the county to 450. Of those, 186 cases are active with seven active hospitalizations and 254 are recovered cases.

Blaine County reported nine new cases Wednesday with no new COVID-19-related deaths confirmed. The county has a total of 167 cases, 85 active with eight active hospitalizations and the two previously reported deaths.

“This has never been more important: give public health and health care a fighting chance,” the Blaine County Health Department release said. “Limit or eliminate large gatherings, keep your circle of close contacts small, wear a mask when you are around non-household contacts and wash your hands.”

Rocky Boy Health Center, whose results also are either listed in the results from Chouteau or Hill County, depending on the person’s residency, reported Wednesday 16 new cases confirmed with 100 active cases confirmed at the center, 91 of those in people who reside on the reservation, and four active hospitalizations.

“Staying home and avoiding contact with others is the best way for us all to work together and flatten the curve,” the update posted on the Rocky Boy Health Center Facebook page said. “When you do have to leave your home, don’t forget to #MaskUpRockyBoy!”

The state COVID-19 response tracking map listed two new cases in Chouteau County with a total of 50 cases, 13 active and 37 recovered.

Liberty County was listed with one new case for 28 total, six active and 22 recovered.

The state number of daily new cases confirmed listed this morning, 735 new cases, surpasses the former record of 721 new cases listed Saturday.

This morning’s update listed a total of 20,933 cases since the first cases were confirmed in Montana in March, with 230 COVID-19-related deaths reported in the state, 7,849 active cases and 301 active hospitalizations.