Tribal Health Relaxes Some Restrictions
The Tribal Health Board of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes has released an order to relax restrictions that were made due to the spread of COVID. The Tribal Health Board passed the order Thursday, May 20.
The order includes: no curfew, no more than 100 people to gather in a public place, tribal casinos can operate at regular hours with restrictions in place, tribal community halls are open for all events, and people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer required to wear masks unless they are in large crowds. Everyone is advised to take precautions regarding mask wearing and social distancing. Masks are still required for all unvaccinated individuals over the age of five years old in all public spaces, however, all children between the ages of 2-4 are strongly encouraged to wear masks when possible, People who have a documented medical condition that precludes safely wearing a face covering are exempted from this requirement. All requirements regarding social distancing remain in effect for the unvaccinated individuals. People who have been fully vaccinated are advised to continue to take precautions. Tribal operation hours are from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tribal buildings remain closed to the public except by appointment.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday, May 13, that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 don’t have to wear masks indoors and they no longer need to social distance.
People with compromised immune systems should consult with their doctor before going without a mask, even if fully vaccinated, the CDC said.
The CDC noted on its website: •If you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic.
•Fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations including local business and workplace guidance.
•If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, find a vaccine.
If you travel, you should still take steps to protect yourself and others. You will still be required to wear a mask on planes, buses, trains and other forms of public transportation.
Area Statistics
As of Sunday, May 23, Roosevelt County has one active case and no current hospitalizations. There have been 55 COVID-related deaths reported in the county.
As of Monday, May 24, Valley County’s active count was two. There have been 908 total cases and 18 reported COVID-reported deaths.
Daniels County had zero active cases as of May 24. The county has 189 recovered cases and 197 cumulative cases. Eight deaths have occurred due to COVID-19 and/or complications.
In McCone County, there is one active case as of Monday, May 24. There are 181 recovered cases. There has been one COVID-related death in the county.
The Phillips County Health Department was reporting zero active cases as of Monday, May 24. Five hundred and eight cases are listed as recovered. There have been 16 reported COVID-related deaths.
For Richland County, there are five active cases and 1,242 recovered cases as of Thursday, May 20. Total deaths are 17. There have been 1,242.
Statewide
According to Montana health officials, the state’s total number of known cases now stands at 111,224 since the start of the pandemic. There have been 1,359,312 tests conducted.
Around the state, there are 922 active cases. There are 71 active hospitalizations. By Tuesday, May 25, a total of 1,603 deaths have been reported statewide. A total of 108,699 people have recovered.
Though there is no state mask mandate, local jurisdictions may still choose to implement their own mask requirements. Gianforte emphasized how providing incentives and encouraging personal responsibility are more effective than imposing unenforceable government mandates.
In keeping with Gianforte’s Jan. 13 directive which removed restrictions on hours of service and capacity for businesses, the latest directive continues to encourage businesses to adopt industry best practices or public health guidance to protect their employees and customers. The directive also continues to promote the use of telehealth services, protect vulnerable Montanans from eviction or foreclosure, ease of licensing for health care professionals and a reduction in regulatory burdens.
Vaccine Doses
In Roosevelt County, 5,095 total doses have been administered. There have been 2,421 or 29 percent fully immunizations.
As of Monday, May 24, 796,401 total doses have been administered in Montana. There are 382,610 fully immunized Montanans. The dashboard can be found at https://www.arcgis.com/ apps/MapSeries/index.html? appid=7c34f3412536439491adcc2103421d4b.
