Gallatin County COVID-19 Data: Pre-Mask vs Post-Mask Mandate

We have reached the two-month mark on Governor Bullock's directive ordering all Montanans to wear masks inside public buildings and offices, and when they can't social distance outside. The governor's directive was issued on July 15th. Here are the numbers pre- and post-mandate in Gallatin County taken from the Gallatin City-County Health Department's website.

Pre-mask mandate dates range from March 4 - July 15.

Post-mask mandate dates range from July 16 - September 16.

Gallatin County COVID-19 Data

Positive Cases: 538 (pre-mask)   655 (post-mask)
Total Tests: 13,347 (pre-mask)   10,549 (post-mask)
Positive Rate: 4.03% (pre-mask)  6.2% (post-mask)

Hospitalizations Cumulative: 22
Hospitalizations Current: 1

Deaths: 1 (pre-mask)  3 (post-mask)
Death Rate: 0.18% (pre-mask)  0.45% (post-mask)

Ages of those who died were 1-50s, 1-60s, 2-90s. No one who has died from COVID-19 complications in Gallatin County were under the age of 50.

Overall Cases (March 4 - Sept. 16): 1,193
Tests Cumulative: 23,896
Positive Rate: 4.99%
Deaths: 4
Death Rate: 0.33%

Montana COVID-19 Data (State of Montana COVID-19 map)

Positive Cases: 9,431
Total Tests: 292,401
Positive Rate: 1.4%

Deaths: 141
Death Rate: 1.4%

Nationally, CDC numbers show that COVID-19 deaths are continuing to fall, as are hospitalizations due to the virus. Currently, the CDC reports 195,053 deaths in the United States from the coronavirus. The national death rate is 2.96%.

President Trump is telling Americans that a vaccine for the virus is coming soon. On Wednesday afternoon, the President outlined a vaccine distribution plan that could begin as soon as October if there is an effective vaccine ready. Recently, the Trump administration said they're working on a program to offer the vaccine to Americans at no cost.

CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield told congress that he believes vaccinations could begin in November or December, but in limited quantities.

The U.S. News & World Report quote Redfield as saying, "I think we have to assume that if we had a vaccine, say, released today, that it's going to take us probably in the order of nine months, six to nine months to get the American public vaccinated," Redfield said.

If you would like to look at COVID-19 data yourself, the links are provided for you below.