Cascade County added 94 new cases over the last week and currently has 162 active cases, again the highest number of active cases in the state.

The Cascade County City-County Health Department released its weekly update on March 26 and the new case rate is 17 per 100,000, down from last week’s 22 per 100,000.

The positivity rate as of May 18 is 7.7 percent, according to CCHD.

Trisha Gardner, county health officer, said the positivity rate is a two week average and so it lags a bit in reporting.

As of May 24, there have been 53,007 total doses of the COVID-19 vaccine administered in the county and 25,809 people are considered fully immunized, meaning two weeks have elapsed since their final vaccine dose.

That’s 37 percent of the 68,949 total eligible people in Cascade County, according to CCHD and state data.

Over the last week, 669 people were vaccinated, according to CCHD.

There have been non new breakthrough cases this week, according to CCHD. A breakthrough case is when a person considered fully vaccinated contract COVID-19.

There were three new variant cases since last Wednesday, according to CCHD.

There’s been a total of 9,189 cases in the county since March 2020 and 170 COVID-19 related deaths, according to CCHD. There was one death in the last week and according to CCHD, it was not a breakthrough or variant coase.

As of May 25, there are 14 active COVID-19 cases associated with Great Falls Public Schools.

GFPS is hosting COVID-19 vaccination clinics with the Pfizer vaccine for children 12 and older on May 26 from 3-6:30 p.m. in the North Middle School cafeteria, 2601 8th St. N.E. and 3-6:30 p.m. May 27 in the Paris Gibson Education Center cafeteria, 2400 Central Ave.

Those who get shots at the GFPS clinics will receive their second doses June 16 or June 17.

Benefis Health System is hosting clinics with the Pfizer vaccine on the following days:

• 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 26
• 1-7 p.m. June 3
• 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 8
• 2-7 p.m. June 9
• 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 10

To make an appointment, visit benefis.org/familyvaccine. Appointments will need to be made for family members individually. Appointments for the second dose will be made at the time of the first shot.

As of May 24, there were 195 non-COVID and 11 COVID patients hospitalized at Benefis, according to state data, leaving 34 beds available. There were 18 non-COVID and one COVID patient in the Benefis ICU, leaving two beds available.

At Great Falls Clinic, there were 13 non-COVID and one COVID patient hospitalized, leaving 22 beds available.