Hill County's COVID death toll rises to 56, Fort Belknap enters partial shutdown

Hill County Health Department has reported another COVID-19-related death in the county, bringing the total number of deaths to 56, and Fort Belknap Indian Community has enacted another partial shutdown.

The Hill County Health Department report, issued Friday, also listed 22 new cases confirmed Thursday and Friday, bringing the total number of active cases in the county to 191 with 14 active hospitalizations.

Fort Belknap reported Friday five new cases, 51 active with one active hospitalization. Its numbers are included in either the Blaine or Phillips county numbers.

Fort Belknap Indian Community Council announced over the weekend it is putting the reservation back into partial shutdown starting today and running through Tuesday, Nov. 2 to 11:59 p.m.

The decision enacts travel restrictions and work mandates for employees and reinstates mask mandates, social distancing, self-quarantine and limiting personal travel to to medical appointments and emergencies and getting groceries for families.

The resolution says businesses on the reservation will close at 7 p.m. and the Fort Belknap Indian Community Casino will be closed during the shutdown.

A 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew also is imposed.

The resolution also urges people who have not yet gotten vaccinated to do so, and urges the schools in Hays, Dodson and Harlem to consider shutting down for two weeks.

Rocky Boy Health Center reported Friday 11 new cases with 59 active cases and five active hospitalizations. It has had 10 deaths, with the last reported Thursday. Rocky Boy data is included in either Hill or Chouteau county numbers as well.

Updated data was not available in most of the region, with the state tracking map not updated this morning and data from other health departments not available.

The numbers released by the state Friday morning included two new cases with 25 active and one total death in Liberty County and two new cases with 14 active and eight deaths in Chouteau County.

The state continues to see a surge, with Friday’s update listing 1,315 new cases for Montana with 12,539 active cases, 463 hospitalizations and 2,079 deaths.

During this surge, health officials have continued the message they have given 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 its 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.