COVID rises in nation, officials urge people to keep taking precautions

Staff and wire report

Although vaccination is ongoing in the nation, COVID-19 cases are again rising, mirroring what has happened in Europe in recent months, and officials are urging people to continue to use precautions to slow the spread of the virus.

"Despite the fact that about 32 precent of the U.S. population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, the country is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases and officials urge everyone to stay the course," a release from American Red Cross said Wednesday.

The release said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports COVID-19 cases are rising, adding that health officials warn that the country could see a possible fourth surge in cases as new variants hit the country, states begin to lower restrictions and people begin to travel again.

In the U.S., more than 30.8 million people have been infected with the virus, which has now claimed more than 556,000 lives, the release said.

"Of special concern are new COVID-19 variants which can make the illness more severe, spread more easily between humans, require different treatments, or change the effectiveness of current vaccines," the release added. "The B.1.1.7 variant first detected in the United Kingdom has now been found in all 50 states and is responsible for more than 16,000 cases in the U.S."

The release urges people to continue to wear their masks when out in public, to social distance and to avoid crowds and poorly ventilated spaces.

The Associated Press reports that European countries were scrambling Monday to slow a surge in new cases and hospitalizations and speed up vaccinations in the hope of keeping hospitals from being overwhelmed.

Havre's Dr. Kevin Harada told the Havre Daily News in a recent interview that the more the disease is transmitted, the more new cases arise, the more likely that new variants would appear.

Montana also has started seeing an increase in new cases, with 232 new cases listed on the state map after its update this morning.

After four cases and the 43rd death in Hill County was reported Monday, the state map this morning reported a new case in this county, the fifth active with a total of 1,949 cases confirmed here since the start of the pandemic.

Statewide, Montana has seen 105,750 cases and 1,494 deaths, the state map reports.

Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Monday he had tested positive for COVID-19.

Officials also are urging people to get vaccinated as soon as possible. A push has been on to start vaccinating youths younger than 18, for whom the Pfizer-BioNTech is the only vaccine approved in the United States this week.

Fort Belknap Hospital provided Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to be used in a vaccination effort in Harlem High School Tuesday, and is bringing vaccine to Havre where 16- through 18-year-olds can participate from noon to 5 p.m. in a clinic at Holiday Village Mall.

Work is ongoing to study the vaccines and get approval for children younger than 16, with Pfizer-BioNTech saying studies on people 12 to 16 have been successful and that the companies plan to try for U.S. approval for the younger people in the next few weeks.

It also is working on tests for children from 6 months to 12 years old.

Other companies also continue to work on testing their vaccines for use in youths and children.

People can find online where vaccines are available in their area through https://vaccinefinder.org, operated by Boston's Children's Hospital and supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the United States Digital Service.