HELENA — There were 1,203 new COVID cases reported in Montana on Tuesday, September, 28, 2021, with a current total of 11,416 active cases in the state, according to the Montana Department of Public Health & Human Services (DPHHS). Information from DPHHS at this point does not include data on whether new cases occurred among vaccinated or unvaccinated people.
The number of Montanans who have died due to COVID is now 1,989, an increase of 16 from Monday, according to DPHHS.
The 16 new deaths are from the following counties: Broadwater (1), Cascade (2), Custer (1), Flathead (1), Lake (3), Missoula (2), Powder River (1), Sheridan (1), Valley (1), Yellowstone (3).
The number of people currently hospitalized due to COVID has risen from 415 on Monday to 427 on Tuesday. The cumulative number of hospitalizations in Montana due to the virus is 7,527.
DPHHS released a report on Monday highlighting Montana data from February 2021 to September 2021, and found that 89.5% of the cases, 88.6% of hospitalizations, and 83.5% of the deaths were among people who were not fully vaccinated, including those not yet eligible for vaccination. Click here for more information and the full report.
An estimated 53% of eligible residents are now vaccinated, with 486,157 Montanans now considered fully vaccinated. If you want to get vaccinated, contact your county health department, or click here.
Counties with the most new cases
- Yellowstone County: 256 new; 2,809 active
- Flathead County: 129 new; 1,006 active
- Missoula County: 128 new; 1,647 active
- Cascade County: 124 new; 1,220 active
- Gallatin County: 112 new; 803 active
- Lewis & Clark County: 46 new; 583 active
- Silver Bow County: 41 new; 213 active
- Ravalli County: 33 new; 546 active
- Lake County: 31 new; 289 active
- Hill County: 29 new; 142 active
- Big Horn County: 25 new; 93 active
- Custer County: 25 new; 146 active
There have been 148,490 cumulative cases of COVID in Montana. The cumulative number of recoveries is now 135,085.
The information above is from the DPHHS website and is current as of Tuesday, September 28, 2021. The state website has county-specific data on vaccination rates, new/total cases, and more.
Last week, at the request of the following hospitals, Governor Greg Gianforte announced he is sending Montana National Guard troops to help with their COVID response:
- St. Peter’s Health in Helena: 10 Guard.
- Billings Clinic in Billings 20: Guard.
- St. James Healthcare in Butte: 6 Guard.
- St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings: 10 Guard.
- Missoula County: 24 Guard.
- Bozeman Health in Bozeman: 10 Guard.
- Benefis Health System in Great Falls: 20 Guard.
- Livingston HealthCare in Livingston: 6 Guard.
- Logan Health in Kalispell: 25 Guard.
- Logan Health in Whitefish: 2 Guard.
- Clark Fork Valley Hospital in Plains: 4 Guard.
The Guard members will support staffing with non-medical ICU assistance, environmental services, patient data entry, and COVID testing, according to the governor's office.
Montana is not the only state deploying National Guard troops to help hospitals - other states include Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, Kentucky, and Tennessee.