On Wednesday, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte issued a new directive to replace previous directives related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Gianforte’s 3-page directive replaces over 25 pages and layers of existing directives. Missoula City-County Health Officer Ellen Leahy explained how this new directive will impact Missoula.
“The regular meeting is next Thursday and we will, as we do at every meeting with the board, review where we are with the epidemiology, where we are with community cooperation and compliance, and then also review that in relation to the changes that the governor made,” Leahy said. “So that s happening right now with our environmental health team and with our county attorney, and we do expect that we will propose at least one revision, but that revision is not yet ready. It s being discussed as we speak.”
Gianforte Lifts Restriction on Small Business with New Directive
At a press conference in Helena, Montana Governor Greg Gianforte fulfilled a campaign promise on Wednesday by lifting former Governor Steve Bullock’s directives on bars, restaurants and other small businesses.
“Today I m issuing a new directive that removes or replaces the cumbersome layers of existing ones,” said Gianforte. “These new directives are clear, they re practical, they are common sense and they re easy to understand. Gone are the 25 pages of overlapping and confusing directives. Our new directive is clear and it fits on three pages.”
Gianforte restored hours and capacity levels to small businesses in Montana with the stroke of a pen.
Just hours after new Montana Governor Greg Gianforte announced that he had repealed many of the state s current COVID-19 mandates effective Friday, the Gallatin County Health Board said not so fast.
The governor said he is rolling back restrictions on bars, restaurants, and casinos, which were set down by his predecessor Steve Bullock. Gianforte s directive (Executive Order 2-2021) is not changing anything in regards to masks at this time. Click here to read the governor s full set of directives.
Wednesday afternoon, the Gallatin County Health Department issued a statement affirming that county health boards supersede governor directives and that nothing would be changing here in Gallatin County. Here is the statement in full:
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has announced that confronting the COVID-19 virus is his top priority as governor , and laid out his administrations approach to vaccinations, and how the mask mandate will eventually be rescinded.
According to a press release from the Governor s office, Gianforte indicated that his priority, when it comes to distribution of vaccinations, will be protecting the most vulnerable, promoting incentives and personal responsibility over mandates, and making directives clear and easier to understand.
Governor Gianforte s revision of the COVID-19 vaccination plan will put Montana residents who are 70 and older, 16-69 year-olds with an underlying severe medical condition, and Native Americans next in line, after healthcare workers.