New COVID cases continue in area

Numbers of new COVID-19 cases continue to come in around the area and in schools, with Havre Public Schools reporting Tuesday six new cases confirmed in people associated with the district and Hill County Health Department reporting 36 cases confirmed in the county from Saturday through Tuesday.

Blaine County Health Department reported 23 new cases were confirmed in the county from Saturday through Tuesday.

The state COVID-19 tracking map update this morning listed five new cases in Chouteau County and five new cases in Liberty County.

Statewide, the map listed 1,041 new confirmed cases with 6,680 active, 301 hospitalization and 301 deaths.

Yellowstone County alone was listed with 1,366 active cases and 970 were listed in Cascade County and 967 in Flathead County.

Nationwide, officials are reporting a much-higher rate of young people being confirmed with the virus, although whether that is due to the much-more contagious delta variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 being more likely to infect young people or just because more older people are vaccinated is unclear.

The local numbers match that trend. In a report issued Tuesday, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services said of 45 cases listed for Hill County, seven were children ages zero to 9 and 13 were children ages 10-19.

Of the remainder, six were ages 20-29, seven 30-19, one 40-49, four 50-59, three 60-69, two 70-79, one 80-89 and one 90-99.

The numbers for eight cases listed for Blaine County in the DPHHS report were two ages 10-19, three 20-29, one 30-39, one 50-59 and one 70-79.

Chouteau County's numbers were one age zero-9, two 10-19, one 30-30 and one 40-49. Liberty County was listed with one age 30-39.

A report summarized on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website said that hospitalization rates among children and adolescents also is rising rapidly, although that apparently is due to the large number of them infected.

The proportion of children and adolescents with COVID-19 infections being hospitalized is staying similar to the proportion before the delta variant became predominant, but with the higher humber of infections the weekly hospitalization rates in those age groups rose nearly five-fold, the report said.

While deaths in children and adolescents still is rare, CDC listed Sept. 1 144 deaths in children 0 to 4 years old and 326 in ages 5-18 nationwide.

Vaccination again appears to be the best defense, with hospitalization rates among children eligible to be vaccinated, 12 and older, 10 times higher among unvaccinated.

The Pfizer-BionTech vaccine has been fully authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug administration for anyone 16 and older and still has emergency authorization for children 12 to 15.

The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccines have emergency authorization for people 18 and older and trials continue for use of vaccines on children younger than 12.

During this surge, health officials have continued their message basically from the start of the pandemic.

People should stay home if they don't feel well, the officials say, should regularly wash their hands for at least 20 seconds with soap or with a hand sanitizer including at least 60 percent alcohol, should regularly wash and sanitize surfaces, should wear a mask when in indoor public spaces, and anyone who can should get vaccinated.

In Hill County, vaccinations are available through Bullhook Community Health Center, 406-395-4305; the Hill County Health Department, 406-400-2415; Northern Montana Health Care's Specialty Medical Center at 406-265-7831 or it's family Family Medical Center at 406-265-5408; Western Drug Pharmacy, 406-265-9601; Gary & Leo's Pharmacy, which takes walk-ins; Walmart; and the Rocky Boy Health Center, 406-395-1655.

Vaccinations are available in Blaine County through Blaine County Health Department, 406-357-2345, and Fort Belknap Health Center, 406-353-3219.

Vaccine is available in Chouteau County at the Chouteau County Health Department, 406-622-3771, and Big Sandy Pharmacy at 406-378-5588.

People can call Liberty County Health Department at 406-759-5517 to schedule a vaccination.