Cascade County City-County Health Department said March 15 that there will be a higher number of COVID-19 cases reported by the state early this week due to a reporting error by a local healthcare agency.

According to a release from CCHD, about 370 non-current COVID-19 cases “were not reported to the state in a timely fashion and thus have not been reported to the public. Cascade County residents can expect a surge in cases reported by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services in the next few days..”

But those cases tested positive between late December and March 10, the won’t be counted in the case rate for March 17.

Mask rule remains in effect in Cascade County for at least two more weeks

Four of the cases were tested between March 4-10, but it doesn’t significantly change the case rate for that week, according to CCHD.

The rate was 8 per 100,000 and after these four cases were added, the rate was 8.95 per 100,000, still under the threshold of 10 per 100,000.

Cascade County health board adopts mask requirement

The county’s case rate is calculated on Wednesdays and is the average of daily new cases from the week prior. 

In February, the county health board adopted a health order that requires masks and limits event sizes until the county reaches a rate of 10 or less per 100,000 for two consecutive weeks.

Cascade County expanding vaccines; Board of Health to discuss masks, restrictions Feb. 17

The county hit the rate for one week in late February, but it increase the second week, resetting the two weeks. Last week, for the week ending March 10, the county’s rate met the threshold so if it holds through March 17, the current health order could expire.

Next round of vaccination appointments opens March 18

The next round of vaccine appointments March 18 and as of March 15, there were 25,055 total doses administered in Cascade County and 9,425 fully vaccinated, according to the state dashboard.