New COVID cases still coming in

With the latest version of the omicron variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 dominant, new cases of the illness continue to be reported locally, and health officials urge people who have not yet done so to get vaccinated and receive all boosters for which they are eligible.

Blaine County Health Department Monday reported it is still seeing an increase in COVID-19 activity, with 21 cases confirmed from Saturday through Monday, with nine cases confirmed Friday, 15 new cases Wednesday and Thursday, and 19 new cases from July 16 through last Tuesday, July 19.

"Blaine County residents, please be vigilant: COVID is not over," the report said. "Please wash your hands, cover your cough and sneezes, stay away from sick people, stay home when you're sick. All of these mitigation efforts will help control the spread of illness. Above all else, please be kind."

The county had 39 active cases as of Monday's report, with no active hospitalizations.

Blaine County has had 2,579 cases since the disease was first confirmed in Montana in March 2020, and has suffered 34 deaths.

The release asks people who test positive on a home test to contact their local health department so health officials can provide them with resources they may need, such as a letter for their employer, correct timelines for isolation and quarantine periods, and so on.

"We ask this so that we have a better idea of what the level of COVID-19 is in our communities so that we can help protect those individuals that may be at risk for severe disease or complications," the release said.

Cases also continue to be confirmed in Hill County with numbers increasing. The Hill County Health Department did  not provide an update last week due to conflicting training schedules, but a release Monday reported that 38 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the county Tuesday, July 12, through Monday, July 18, and 59 new cases were confirmed from last Tuesday through Monday.

The report notes that not all newly reported cases may be considered active.

"This can happen when individuals test later in their infection and meet criteria to be recovered by the time we make our weekly post," the report said.

The report said Hill County had 31 active cases as of Monday with 5,224 total cases and 74 deaths. 

The state tracking map, which is updated once a week with Friday data, reported in an update of cumulative cases Friday that the state had 2,199 active cases with 2,320 confirmed in the past week.

It reported 10 new cases in Chouteau County in the previous week with four active, and one new case in Liberty County with none active.

While the number of daily deaths and hospitalizations are down compared to previous surges, the latest variant still is causing serious illness and deaths.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's online COVID data tracker as of Monday afternoon reported the nation is averaging more than 120,000 new cases a day, with an average of almost 6,000 new hospitalization admissions daily and an average of 365 deaths daily.

Health officials say part of these low numbers could be due to the number of people vaccinated and who have received boosters.

President Joe Biden was confirmed last Thursday to have COVID-19, but was reported to have relatively mild symptoms, including body aches, a sore through, a runny nose and a cough, and they have improved.

The Associated Press reports that administration officials credit his being fully vaccinated and receiving two booster shots as part of the reason for his mild symptoms.

CDC recommends everyone should get one vaccine booster shot after becoming eligible, and people 50 and older should receive a second booster, as should some people 12 and older who are moderately or severely immunocompromised.