COVID-19 cases, deaths continue to mount in November

A lot can happen in a month, especially during a global pandemic, and Montana and the local area saw the number of COVID-19 confirmed cases and COVID-19 deaths climb over November.

Officials, local, state and national, have said they have great concerns that the numbers will mount even higher in December due to people gathering for the holidays.

November 1, the start of the ninth month since the first cases and deaths were confirmed in Montana, the state had 33,495 confirmed cases, with 11,721 active cases, and 376 deaths.

Dec. 1, the number of total cases had climbed to 62,205 with 16,157 active cases, nearly doubling in one month the total number of cases.

The number of deaths also came close to doubling in one month, rising to 698.

And both numbers have continued to rise this week. The number of confirmed cases listed in this morning's update was 66,436, 4,231 new cases since Tuesday, and the number of deaths rose to 727, 29 new deaths including one in Hill County.

Officials also have expressed concern that the Thanksgiving holiday could give an additional rise, both due to increased numbers of gatherings and because testing likely slowed down over the holiday weekend.

Locally, the region saw its first cases in March, one confirmed in Hill County and one in Liberty County, then no new cases were confirmed here until July. Then the numbers started to mount.

The numbers locally also climbed dramatically in November.

Hill County started November with 897 cases and 19 deaths.

By Dec. 1 those numbers had climbed to 1,354 confirmed cases and 31 COVID-19-related deaths, with 1,395 cases and 32 deaths by this morning.

Blaine County started November with 362 cases and eight deaths, which rose to 524 cases and 19 deaths by Dec. 1.

Blaine County had 11 more cases, 535 this morning, with no new deaths reported.

And Chouteau and Liberty counties more than doubled their numbers over November.

Chouteau County reported 119 cases with no deaths Nov. 1. By Dec. 1, the confirmed numbers were 276 cases and three deaths, with the total number of cases rising to 290 by this morning.

Liberty County stayed at one case through spring and summer, but had risen to 35 cases but no deaths reported by Nov. 1.

By Dec. 1, the total number in Liberty County rose to 93 and it had one confirmed COVID-19-related death. By this morning, it had added three more cases for a total of 96.

Officials from the local to the national level are urging people to stay home except for essential needs, to regularly wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol, to regularly wash and disinfect surfaces and to wear a mask when out in public.

The Montana Nurses Association this week issued a plea to people to try to slow the spread, particularly by wearing masks, especially during the holidays, which is the best way to help the economy as well, a release from the association said.

Increasing numbers of studies show wearing a mask reduces the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19, the release said.

The virus is transmitted by moisture expelled when people cough, sneeze, sing, talk or even breathe and cloth masks reduce the amount of moisture expelled, and the amount of virus expelled. Wearing a mask helps people who have the virus, even if they have no symptoms and don't know they are carrying it, reduce their spreading it.

The release cites a Forbes article from Nov. 11 that said Goldman Sachs estimated in June that everyone wearing masks could have $1 trillion benefit to the U.S. economy by stopping lockdown measures.

It also cites an examination of mask orders conducted by the University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business that showed coronavirus cases dropped after mask orders were put in place. The dean of the college said in a Nov. 11 Salt Lake City Tribune article that mask-wearing not only reduces the number of cases but also increases the number of people going to stores and restaurants and increases consumer spending, the release said.

"'Tis the season," Montana Nurses Association Chief Executive Officer Vicky Byrd said in the release. "Mask up Montana.  Wash your hands.  Social Distance.  We can care for our family, neighbors, and protect our dedicated nurses and health care workers and have a strong economy."