The Cascade County City-County Health Department said this afternoon that they’re aware of comments from President Trump today recommending that people avoid groups of 10 or more and avoid eating and drinking at bars, restaurants and public food courts.

CCHD officials said for now, they’re awaiting official guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Cascade County Board of Health has not met today to discuss any changes related to closing bars, restaurants, gyms, casinos, etc.

Butte-Silver Bow County’s health board met March 16 to authorize the county public health officer to close bars, restaurants, gyms, casinos, etc. beginning at 4 p.m. March 16 through 8 p.m. March 23 pending further notification.

The order excludes pick-up and delivery services.

Missoula County’s public health officer ordered the closure of bars and limiting restaurant services beginning March 17 through 8 a.m. March 24, according to a report by the Missoulian. The order allows for drive-through, take-out and delivery services to continue and excludes food services at nursing homes, University of Montana dining and hospitals, according to the Missoulian.

Under state law, local public health officers are authorized to “take steps to limit contact between people in order to protect the public health from imminent threats, including but not limited to ordering the closure of buildings or facilities where people congregate and canceling events” and “etablish and maintain quarantine and isolation measures as adopted by the local board of health.”

The Lewis and Clark County Board of Health had an emergency meeting Monday afternoon and is closing restaurants, bars, gyms, etc. March 17-23.

The county’s order also exempts drive-through, delivery, or pick-up services.

Gallatin County’s health officer also issued an order Monday afternoon imposing restrictions on bars, brew pubs, wineries, casinos and restaurants beginning 9 p.m. March 16 through March 24.

The order allows take-out and delivery services to continue and does not apply to grocery stores, deli counters within grocery stores, or convenience stores.

Gov. Steve Bullock confirmed two more positive cases of COVID-19 in Montana on March 16, bringing the total of cases actually in the state to eight.

• The Missoula County patient is a male in their 20s
• The Yellowstone County patient is a female in their 20s

The tests, conducted by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Public Health Laboratory, were confirmed Monday evening, according to a release.

In Cascade County, all 10 tests sent to the state lab came back negative, as confirmed by the City-County Health Department over the weekend, including the case related to Malmstrom that the base issued a release about on Monday.

A ninth Montana resident tested positive for the virus while in Maryland and remains in Maryland at this time.

State and local public health laboratories are no longer required to send “presumptive positive” samples to CDC for confirmation. From now on, respiratory samples positive for SARS-CoV2 in a state and public-health laboratory will be considered “positive” with no need for further testing, according to a release from Bullock’s office.

DPHHS and the local county health departments are immediately following up to learn more details about the two individual’s exposure risk, travel history, and to identify and communicate with anyone who may have been in close contact with the patients.

This is the extent of the information on the two patients at this time.

All patients will be isolated or quarantined pursuant to public health guidelines. Those who came into close contact with the individuals will be monitored for 14 days for fever and respiratory symptoms per CDC guidance.

The number of tests performed are updated daily here: https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/diseases/coronavirusmt

Lunches

Students can pick up a free to go sack lunch from Clark and Lewie’s thanks to support from General Distributing Company beginning March 17 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.