Covid in the county

With at home testing
now part of the
CDC’s guidelines,
the tests have
become more sought-after than
ever. Madison County’s Public
Health Department has handed

out around 300 of the state-fund-
ed test kits in the past month or

so.
As of Jan. 19 there’s a new way to
procure free Covid-19 rapid tests

– online via the federal govern-
ment’s website: www.covidtests.

gov. Every home in the U.S. is
eligible to order four of the tests,
which will ship in about a week.

More state tests will also be avail-
able via the health department in

the coming weeks.
The demand for more tests has
risen along with test positivity

rates in the county. MCPHD
Director Emilie Sayler reported
on Jan. 18 that the rate had risen
from 3% at a recent low point to
10%. That uptick is reflected in

outbreaks: Sayler said four of the
county’s schools have reported
cases, both nursing homes are
under outbreak status, and larger

employers in the county are also
seeing cases.
The school outbreaks have
not been significant enough to
prompt any activity cancellations,

said Sayler, and the other out-
breaks were insignificant, though

she expects to continue to see
Madison County cases continue
to rise in the coming weeks.

Covid by the numbers
According to Montana Response
Covid-19 dashboard data, current
as of Jan. 18 at 10:30 a.m.:
Montana
Active cases: 1/11: 8,787 1/18:
13,476
Cumulative cases: 1/11: 206,295
1/18: 215,988
Active hospitalizations: 1/11: 162
1/18: 236

New cases in 24 hours: 1/11: 1,520
1/18: 3,924
Deaths: 1/11: 2,927 1/18: 2,957
Montanans fully immunized*:
1/11: 542,930 1/18: 545,102

Eligible population fully vaccinat-
ed*: 1/11: 53% 1/18: 53%

Madison County
Active cases: 1/11: 44 1/18: 59
Deaths: 1/11: 20 1/18: 20

Cumulative cases: 1/11: 1,500
1/18: 1,555
Active hospitalizations: 1/18: 0
Total hospitalizations: 114

County residents fully immu-
nized*: 1/11: 3,843 1/18: 3,853

Eligible population fully vaccinat-
ed*: 1/11: 45% 1/18: 45%

*Does not include booster shots