Gallatin County Fairgrounds
Park County Health Department said they continue to see a high level of infections with more than 30 new cases identified since Monday May 3 with four people hospitalized over the weekend.
Many of those cases are in schools and are mostly related to sports activities with a few cases in the Shields Valley.
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In all cases except one, people who have become ill were unvaccinated and were gathering indoors without masks.Â
The Butte-Silver Bow Health Department announced one more death related to COVID-19 on Monday May 10.
Gallatin County Health Officer Matt Kelley said the number of COVID-19 cases have slowly decreased in recent weeks with around 16 daily cases per 100,000 people, the target limit is 25 cases per 100,000 people according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Mask mandates and other public health requirements for businesses to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in Montana are no longer enforceable, after Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed legislation substantially limiting the authority of local health boards.
The governorâs office Friday announced that House Bill 257, sponsored by Rep. Jedediah Hinkle, R-Belgrade, was among a slate of bills signed in recent days.
Businesses can still elect to require that customers wear masks in their facilities, but under the bill, local health requirements that they do so are no longer enforceable. HB 257 removes the ability of local governments and health officials to issue ordinances or resolutions that deny customers access to a businessâs goods or services, or that require a business to do so.
Yellowstone Public Radio
Republican Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed into law a policy that county officials say prevents them from enforcing emergency public health restrictions, like mask mandates.
The law prohibits local governments from making businesses follow mandates that prevent them from offering goods or services to a customer. It also curbs local governments’ authority to issue fines for not following health orders.
State Republican lawmakers in the recently-adjourned legislative session prioritized policies limiting the power of local health officials, arguing restrictions intended to slow the coronavirus’ spread place an undue burden on residents.
The Gallatin City-County Board of Health decided against extending the county mask mandate and public gathering restrictions due to the new law. Health Officer Matt Kelley said it’s causing widespread confusion.
Montana’s local public-health officers and boards, who’ve made difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions during the Covid-19 pandemic, have had their wings clipped by a trio of Republican-passed bills at the 2021 Legislature.
Gallatin City-County Board of Health to revisit local COVID-19 emergency rules kbzk.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kbzk.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.