Hill County sees three more deaths

Hill County Health Department reported Friday the county has confirmed three more COVID-19-related deaths, bringing the county total to 63.

The report Friday said the county had seven new cases of COVID-19 confirmed, with the number of active cases at 69 with 11 active hospitalizations.

The report said the next update would be issued today.

The county has had 3,299 cases confirmed since the pandemic hit the area in March 2020.

Blaine County Health Department reported Saturday a surge in new cases, with 33 cases confirmed from Wednesday through Saturday. The report listed 82 active cases in Blaine County with three active hospitalizations and 26 deaths. Blaine County has had 1,402 total cases confirmed in county residents.

Chouteau County also had a large surge, with the state COVID-19 tracking map update this morning listing 19 new cases there, with eight deaths and 711 total cases.

The state update listed no new cases in Liberty County with eight active cases and two deaths.

Statewide, the map reported 1,137 new cases with 9,528 active, 395 active hospitalizations and 2,366 deaths. Montana has had 176,976 cases confirmed since its first cases were confirmed in March 2020.

Officials still are urging people who are not vaccinated to get vaccinated, and booster shots in the area now are available for eligible people.

Northern Montana Hospital is holding booster shot clinics at Holiday Village Mall from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and noon to 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Food and Drug Administration approved boosters for all three authorized vaccines, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the Moderna vaccine and the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine, and people can use any of the vaccines for a booster regardless of the vaccine they originally received.

People who received Pfizer or Moderna vaccines must wait at least six months from their last shot, and people who received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine must wait at least two months since their shot.

People who are eligible are anyone 65 or older, people 18 and older who live in long-term care settings, people 18 and older with qualifying underlying conditions and people 18 and older who live or work in high-risk settings, the flyer said.

People are asked to bring their vaccination card and forms are available online at http://nmhcare.org on the "documents" page and at Northern Montana Hospital's Facebook page and will be available at the clinics.

During the surge, health officials have continued the message they have given basically from the start of the pandemic.

People should stay home if they don't feel well, the officials say, should regularly wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap or with a hand sanitizer including at least 60 percent alcohol, should regularly wash and sanitize surfaces, should wear a mask when in indoor public spaces, and anyone who can should get vaccinated.

Booster shots and initial vaccinations are available at many locations in the area.

In Hill County, vaccinations are available through Bullhook Community Health Center, 406-395-4305; the Hill County Health Department, 406-400-2415; Northern Montana Health Care's Specialty Medical Center at 406-265-7831 or its Family Medical Center at 406-265-5408; Western Drug Pharmacy, 406-265-9601; Gary & Leo's Pharmacy, which takes walk-ins; Walmart; and the Rocky Boy Health Center, 406-395-1655.

Vaccinations are available in Blaine County through Blaine County Health Department, 406-357-2345, and Fort Belknap Health Center, 406-353-3219.

Vaccine is available in Chouteau County at the Chouteau County Health Department, 406-622-3771, and Big Sandy Pharmacy at 406-378-5588.

People can call Liberty County Health Department at 406-759-5517 to schedule a vaccination.