Governor Steve Bullock confirmed on Friday that a Gallatin County man has tested presumptively positive for the coronavirus. According to the governor, three other Montanans have also tested positive for the virus.

  • The Gallatin County patient is a male in their 40s.
  • The Yellowstone County patient is a female in their 50s.
  • The Silver Bow County patient is a male in their 50s.
  • The Lewis and Clark County patient is a male in their 50s.

“We’ve been monitoring this rapidly evolving situation and vigorously preparing for COVID-19 to reach Montana, making today’s news unsurprising,” Governor Bullock said. “As our public health officials work relentlessly to prevent further spread, I urge all Montanans to continue efforts to plan and follow public health recommendations to take the proper precautions.”

The tests, conducted by the DPHHS Public Health Laboratory, were confirmed Friday evening. As is current standard, test results are considered presumptively positive and will be confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). If confirmed, these would be the first cases of coronavirus to reach Montana.

A release from the governors office stated that DPHHS and all involved local county health departments are immediately following up to learn more details about the four individual’s exposure risk, travel history, and to identify and communicate with anyone who may have been in close contact with the patients.

This is the extent of the information on the four patients at this time. As more details are available, the governor’s office will provide timely updates.

All patients will be isolated pursuant to public health guidelines. Those who came into close contact with the individuals will be monitored for 14 days for fever and respiratory symptoms per CDC guidance.

As of Friday, DPHHS has tested a total of 107 individuals for COVID-19. These numbers are updated daily here: https://dphhs.mt.gov/publichealth/cdepi/diseases/coronavirusmt

The state currently has the capacity to test approximately 1,000 individuals and anticipates receiving more tests from the CDC as needed.

On Thursday, Governor Bullock declared a state of emergency in Montana to direct a coordinated response to COVID-19 and mobilize all available state resources including emergency funds or personnel from the National Guard. It also allows the governor to take additional steps as warranted.

To bolster the state’s response to the coronavirus situation, Governor Bullock launched a Coronavirus Task Force on March 3 to coordinate efforts across state government. The Task Force, led by Adjutant General Matthew Quinn, is now providing ways state residents can ask questions related to the coronavirus situation in Montana.

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