COVID-19 confirmed in Northern Montana Care Center residents

Northern Montana Health Care announced Sunday afternoon that it was notified that Northern Montana Care Center has several more COVID-19 positive cases, in eight  residents as well as in employees, at the care center.

The announcement comes as the Hill County Health Department reported Sunday a total of 19 new cases in the county.

Hill County has a total of 169 cases, the health department reportes, with 44 active and two hospitalized with 122 recoveries and three deaths.

Rocky Boy Boy Health Center reported Sunday it has one new confirmed case of  COVID-19, with 32 active cases confirmed at the health center, 30 active on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation and one active hospitalization.

Numbers reported from the Rocky Boy Health Center are included in the totals of Hill and Chouteau counties, depending on where the person with the confirmed case lives.

Chouteau County did not report any new cases Sunday, with the state COVID-19 tracking map reporting 29 confirmed cases there, 14 active and 15 recovered.

Blaine County reported one new confirmed case Sunday, with 22 total cases, five active and 17 recovered.

The state map reported no new cases in Liberty County, with 19 total cases, five active and 14 recovered.

The people who are positive at Northern Montana Care Center have been notified and contract tracing is being conducted by the Hill County Health Department, a press release said Sunday.

The press release Sunday said Northern Montana Health Care has already established communication with the residents’ family members in order to inform them of this development, and it is keeping in contact with its chief medical director and the county health department.

At this time, all non-positive residents will remain in their rooms.

The residents who are positive are being moved to a special unit to be cared for, following Northern Montana Care Center’s emergency operations plan, the release said.

Beginning Sunday and continuing through today, all residents and staff will be tested every three to seven days until 14 days have passed without any new cases, the release said.

From the start of the pandemic, the care center has taken actions to maintain the safest environment possible including cleaning all high-touch surfaces at the care center, canceling group activities and communal dining and limiting visitation, Northern Montana Health Care Vice President of Regulatory and Community Services Christen Obresley said in a letter sent Sept. 16 to care center residents’ families.

Since the staff member was confirmed with COVID-19, reported by the care center Sept. 16, the center has started using masks with residents and has staff members wearing face shields as well as surgical or N-95 masks and screening of residents for COVID-19-like symptoms has been increased to three times a day, she said in the letter.

People who become ill with COVID-19 may develop mild to severe illness and it can be fatal. 

While anyone may become ill with COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.