COVID case shuts down Box Elder Schools field trip

With Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation reporting its first confirmed case of COVID-19 since February and Box Elder Schools reporting its first case in months, even with schools out for the summer the pandemic is impacting local activities.

A release from Box Elder Superintendent Jeremy MacDonald said a 21st Century field trip scheduled for today and elementary kindergarten through sixth grade summer school have been canceled for Box Elder Schools.

The full school year ended for the schools last Friday.

The release said that if the situation had arisen during the regular school year, the district would have continued to operate in-person learning while coordinating with public health to handle the situation.

"Since summer school is not required at the elementary level, we will address this matter with an abundance of caution," it said.

The release adds that the Box Elder School District recommends that families that have students ages 12 and older consider getting them vaccinated, also noting that Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines updated May 28 say people who are fully vaccinated don't need to quarantine if exposed to the virus and are asymptomatic.

People with questions can contact MacDonald, the release concluded.

And Havre Public Schools, which had its last day Wednesday, also reported more confirmed cases.

A release issued by Superintendent Craig Mueller Thursday said the district was notified that two people associated with the district were confirmed to have COVID-19 and had contact with others in the district Tuesday, one at Sunnyside Intermediate School and one at Lincoln-McKinley Primary School.

Havre Public Schools Nurse Jeri Erickson conducted contact tracing and will contact anyone who is at risk of exposure, the release said, and Hill County Health Department will be making close contact and quarantine calls today.

Northern Montana Care Center also reports that a staff member has tested positive and the center will be closed to visitors for 14 days.

Cases, deaths continue to hit region

Confirmed COVID-19 cases and COVID-19-related deaths continue to occur in this part of north-central Montana, although at greatly reduced rates compared to last fall and early winter.

Chouteau County Heath Department reported the county's seventh COVID-19-related death Tuesday, in a person not older than 40 who died very quickly from COVID-19-related pneumonia. The department urged people to get vaccinated.

A report issued May 26 listed another death in Hill County, raising its death toll to 45.

While the new case listed by Rocky Boy is its first in months, the Rocky Boy Health Center lists its total, included in reports by Chouteau or Hill counties depending on where the person lived, at 795 confirmed cases.

Hill County, which reported seven new confirmed cases Thursday, has a total of 2,012, up from 1,985 May 14, and Chouteau County has 510 cases, up from 505 May 14.

Hill County reports seven active cases with two active hospitalizations.

Chouteau County reported three new confirmed cases Thursday evening with three active and a total of 513 cases.

And Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, the numbers from which are included either in the Blaine or Phillips county totals, and Blaine County have had a resurgence after cases had dwindled in early spring.

Fort Belknap reported 459 total confirmed cases May 14 and Blaine County reported 794 on that date.

By reports issued Thursday evening, Fort Belknap was up to 492 cases and Blaine County was at 829.

Liberty County has had no new cases in months, staying at 117 cases, none active, with one COVID-19-related death.

Across the state, numbers also continue to come in. Deaths have risen from 1,598 in mid-May to 1,632 listed in the state update this morning.

The total number of cases confirmed has jumped from 110,560 May 14 to 112,260 this morning.

Calls for people to get vaccinated

Officials - locally, statewide and nationally - continue to urge people to get vaccinated.

Statewide, only 43 percent of eligible people are fully vaccinated, the state tracking map reports.

The local numbers listed on the map are even lower.

Blaine County, which includes is listed as having 40 percent of eligible residents fully vaccinated, Chouteau County is at 30 percent, Hill County at 41 percent and Liberty County is at 31 percent.

The totals for Blaine and Hill counties include residents vaccinated as part of the Rocky Boy's and Fort Belknap Indian reservations' vaccination programs, which are conducting their own vaccination programs.

Nationally, CDC reports that 41.2 percent of the U.S. population is vaccinated, 48.8 percent of people 12 and older.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued emergency authorization of use of the two-shot Prfizer-BioNTech vaccine for people 12 and older, and of use of the two-shot Moderna vaccine and one-shot Johnson & Johnson/Janssen vaccine for people 18 and older.

Trials are underway by Johnson & Johnson and Moderna for people ages 12-18 and trials also are underway for children ages 6 months to 11.

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday a National Month of Action to mobilize the nation to have at least 70 percent of U.S. adults receiving at least one shot by July 4.

Biden called on national organizations, local government leaders, community-based and faith-based partners, businesses, employers, social media influencers, celebrities, athletes, colleges and young people to work together to get their communities vaccinated.

The announcement also listed initiatives and challenges to try to encourage vaccinations and making them easier to get.

AmeriCorps put out a call to action Thursday, inviting people to join the COVID-19 Community Corps in the "We Can Do This" campaign. People are invited to learn more and sign up for action by visiting https://wecandothis.hhs.gov .

Vaccines widely available

And vaccines are widely available in the area.

In releasing the information about the new confirmed case on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, the health center reminded people it has Johnson & Johnson/Janssen along with Moderna vaccines available for people 18 and older and Pfizer/BioNTech available for people 12 and older.

"Call Medical Scheduling at (406-)395-1655 to get scheduled or attend one of our community vaccination events," the release said.

In Havre, Gary & Leo's Pharmacy is taking walk-ins seven days a week for vaccinations with Johnson & Johnson, and Western Drug at 406-265-9501 is taking calls to schedule Moderna vaccinations and taking walk-ins for Johnson & Johnson.

Hill County Health Department at 406-400-2415 has been scheduling vaccinations for the third Tuesday of the month.

Northern Montana Health Care's flu clinic is taking calls at 406-262-1585 to schedule vaccinations.

Bullhook Community Health Center has booked its vaccinations for June but is encouraging people to call 406-395-4305 to schedule for July and get on a waiting list in case of cancellations, and its pharmacy should have vaccine in stock by June 10 and people can call 406-395-4305 and connect with the pharmacy for information on availability.

In Blaine County, the health department continues to schedule clinics and is taking calls at 406-357-2345.

Fort Belknap Health Center also is taking calls at 406-353-3219 to schedule vaccinations for people 12 and older and people are invited to walk in for vaccinations as well.

Chouteau County Health Department announced Thursday it has the Pfizer vaccine available for children 12-17 and Johnson & Johnson vaccine for people 18 and older. People are asked to call 406-622-3771 to schedule an appointment.

People can also call Big Sandy Pharmacy at 406-378-5588 to schedule a vaccination.

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Online:

Presidential National Month of Action Fact Sheet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/06/02/fact-sheet-president-biden-to-announce-national-month-of-action-to-mobilize-an-all-of-america-sprint-to-get-more-people-vaccinated-by-july-4th/