Yellowstone County reports 241st COVID-19 death
(MTN News graphic)
and last updated 2021-03-11 13:33:19-05
BILLINGS - Yellowstone County health officials reported Thursday the death of another county resident from COVID-19 related illness.
RiverStone Health said in a press release that on Feb. 22 a man in his 70s died at a Billings hospital. The death was reported to public health officials Wednesday after death certificate review.
At least 241 Yellowstone County residents have lost their lives to the pandemic so far, the health agency said. The man who died on Feb. 22 is one of 11 residents who died in February. Three COVID-19 deaths have been reported in March.
Yellowstone County reports 241st COVID-19 death kxlf.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kxlf.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Unpredictable Delivery Hampers COVID-19 Vaccination Plans
COVID-19 vaccination efforts in counties across the state are shifting from health care workers to community members. Limited supply has been a problem, but some counties say it s the unpredictability of that supply
that’s the real barrier to carrying out plans to vaccinate the public.
With a smirk on his face, 68-year-old EMS worker Sherwin Smith is razzing one of the Teton County public health nurses vaccinating health care workers at an indoor park pavilion in Choteau.
“I’m tickled we’re getting it, Smith said.
Teton County Health Department Director Melissa Moyer says her six staff are handling the county s entire vaccine rollout. Her team has moved onto phase 1b, which includes those 70 or older as well as others with certain underlying health conditions.
Some COVID-19 tests in Yellowstone County are being checked for signs of a variant strain of COVID-19 first identified in the United Kingdom that may be more transmissible than other more widely circulating strains.
The strain remained undetected in Montana as of Friday. It will probably reach Yellowstone County at some point, said Dr. Neil Ku, Billings Clinic infectious disease specialist. There s likely a very good chance that s going to happen, unfortunately, Ku said, pointing to early efforts to isolate COVID-19 only to later discover the virus had been circulating more widely than was initially known.
While it s completely normal for viruses to mutate, a more infectious variant of COVID-19 in Yellowstone County could have implications for how the virus is dealt with at the local level, although existing public health guidelines at this point remain the recommended means of reducing the risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 even in the case of this new variant.