GREAT FALLS — The number of new COVID-19 cases -- along with the number of active cases -- continues to rise in Montana.
There were 493 newly-confirmed cases reported in the Treasure State while the number of active cases rose to 2,404 on Tuesday.
Flathead County reported the most new cases with 98, along with 624 active cases. Yellowstone County saw the second-largest increase in cases at 85 followed by Cascade County with 62. Yellowstone County is now at 325 active cases while Cascade County reports 302 active cases.
The total number of Montanans who have died due to COVID has risen by three to 1,726 since Monday, according to the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS).
The number of state residents who have been fully immunized against the virus stands at 447,877 (about 49% of the state population). The total number of doses administered is 908,105. If you want to get vaccinated, contact your county health department, or click here.
The number of people currently hospitalized due to COVID remains at 154. The cumulative number of hospitalizations in Montana due to the virus is 5,866.
There have been 118,754 cumulative cases of COVID in Montana. The cumulative number of recoveries is now 114,624. The total number of COVID tests administered in Montana is 1,531,869.
The information above is from the DPHHS website and is current as of Tuesday, August 10, 2021. The site is updated daily and includes state-level and county-specific data for cases, recoveries, vaccinations, deaths, and tests.
Adam Meier, director of DPHHS, said in a news release last week that COVID-related hospitalization data from the past eight weeks from June 5 to July 30 shows that 89% of Montanans who were hospitalized had not received the COVID vaccine. The data includes 358 hospitalizations of Montanans during this time frame. The hospitalizations included an age range from 1 to 97, with a median age of 64.
“This data illustrates just how effective the COVID-19 vaccine is in preventing serious illness when you consider how far we’ve come since the vaccine first became available,” Meier said. “The data is also a reminder of how important it is to get vaccinated. This is now a vaccine-preventable disease, and the last thing we want to see are more cases and hospitalizations. The COVID-19 vaccine is the best tool we have to prevent serious illness and hospitalization. The fall and winter months are just around the corner. Now is the time to get the vaccine.”