The statistics show that Indigenous communities are disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
A Wednesday dialogue with tribal leaders from the Flathead and Fort Peck Indian reservations emphasized their response â enacting stay-at-home orders, closing lands, taking school online, reinventing youth and health services, distributing federal CARES Act money, and planning their own vaccination rollouts.
âIndigenous leaders have stayed ahead of the curve,â said Dr. Cora Neumann, the moderator and a public health expert who sits on the stateâs vaccine rollout task force.
While the headlines often focus on case numbers, âthe loss in these communities has not been for lack of leadership,â she said.
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Chair Shelly Fyant poses for a portrait on Jan. 2, 2021, in Polson, Mont.Photo: Tailyr Irvine for The InterceptConfederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Chair Shelly Fyant poses for a portrait on Jan. 2, 2021, in Polson, Mont.Photo: Tailyr Irvine for The Intercept
Montana Tribes Hard-Hit by Covid-19 Brace for Republican Takeover
Native Americans in Montana are dying from Covid-19 at a rate 11 times higher than white residents.
January 9 2021, 2:41 p.m.
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Chair Shelly Fyant poses for a portrait on Jan. 2, 2021, in Polson, Mont.Photo: Tailyr Irvine for The InterceptConfederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Chair Shelly Fyant poses for a portrait on Jan. 2, 2021, in Polson, Mont.Photo: Tailyr Irvine for The Intercept
Montana will not be reporting new virus cases until Saturday, following New Year s Day.
The total nearly matched Wednesday’s report of 629 cases, the state’s highest total in a week and a half. Montana has seen a downward trend in positive coronavirus cases, with reports falling by nearly 30% each of the last two weeks from the week prior, according to a USA TODAY analysis.
Cascade County saw 23 new cases Thursday, bringing its total 6,634 with 875 remaining active. Of the 81,555 positive reports in Montana since the pandemic began in March, 5,603 are active and there have been 74,991 recoveries.
Montana added 11 deaths overnight, bringing the state’s death toll to 961. There have been 791,589 total tests administered, which is 4,781 more than the previous day data was available.