Current COVID-19 Cases in Cascade County

Attention: COVID-19 Vaccination Plan Information for Montana (updated 1/11/21)

Fri 1/15/21 update: Information re: COVID-19 vaccination for Cascade County individuals in Phase 1B will be released early next week.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

If you would like to have case information delivered directly to your email, please visit this webpage (https://covid19.mt.gov/), scroll down to "Novel Coronavirus," and click on "Sign up for Notifications."

  1. You can also find that information in congregate form on the State website by visiting this map and clicking on the image of Cascade County. 
  2. Alternately, you can find daily updates on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CCHDMT

Tuesday, Jan 5, 2021 update: 

Governor Greg Gianforte had a press conference earlier this afternoon, where he discussed some changes he plans to make to COVID-19 guidelines. We will keep you apprised as we learn more about his directives and what changes may be made at a local level in Cascade County. You can watch the entire press conference here: https://fb.watch/2QFFYGEv0Y/

Many of you have reached out with questions about COVID-19 vaccination. Please remember that due to limitations with the vaccine supply chain, the vaccine is not yet available to the general public. We are currently in Phase 1A of former Governor Bullock's vaccine allocation plan.

People who will be vaccinated in Phase 1A are healthcare workers and long-term care facility residents only. If you fall outside of Phase 1A of the vaccination plan, please do not contact the hospitals or your health care provider with questions about receiving a vaccination. Cascade County hospitals and clinics have been receiving numerous phone calls and we need to free up their phone lines during this busy time. The Cascade City-County Health Department will keep the public informed and will update you when we move into other vaccine distribution phases.

CCHD does not have a waiting list for COVID-19 vaccines at this time. The FDA has provided Emergency Use Authorization for the first doses, and those will be given to our most at-risk healthcare workers. We are making plans to provide the vaccine to the general public once more doses are available, but uncertainty about the timeline makes keeping a list impractical for the time being. When we know more, we will provide more details on our website, social media, and other outlets.

Our webpage & FAQ were updated this afternoon just prior to Governor Gianforte's press conference (so changes will be made as we get updates from State), but you can see them here: https://www.cascadecountymt.gov/462/COVID-19-Vaccination

2021-01-15 CCHD COVID-19 Weekly Report


  1. 10/30 Health Officer Order
  2. COVID-19 Complaint Form
  3. Isolation & Quarantine Instructions
  4. Essential Prevention Measures

Read the latest Order of Health Officer here:


https://www.cascadecountymt.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1351/10-30-2020_Order-of-Health-Officer_Additional-COVID-restrictions

In a special meeting on Wednesday 10/29/20, the Board of Health approved additional COVID-19 restrictions to slow the spread and reduce the burden on the healthcare system. Here are the measures they approved:

  • Starting Sunday, the number of people at gatherings and events will be capped at 50. Previously, the limit was 250 people for indoor events and 500 outside. (See page 4 of the Health Order.)
  • Schools, childcare facilities and polling places are exempt, as are places of worship if they can maintain six feet of distance between people. Places of worship are still limited to 75% capacity. (See page 4 of the Health Order.)
  • Bars, restaurants, casinos, gyms, movie theatres, and coffee houses will be required to reduce capacity from 75 percent to 50. (See page 3 of the Health Order.)
  • These restrictions will remain in place until Cascade County have achieved an rate of 25 infected persons per 100,000 population and have maintained that rate for four weeks. (See page 3 of the Health Order.)

Important notes:

  1. If you have been instructed to isolate or quarantine and need a letter for your employer, DO NOT COME TO CCHD IN PERSON. The last thing we need is our public health staff, already stretched thin, to be exposed. Instead, call us at 406-454-6950 or email us at health@cascadecountymt.gov and someone will respond ASAP.
  2. The City-County Health Department does NOT perform COVID testing. If you have symptoms or have learned that you may be a close contact, please call a healthcare provider to get more information about being tested. Your provider will let you know when your test results have come in and will give you your initial instructions—to quarantine, isolate, or neither—and we at CCHD will get in touch with you as soon as possible. 
    • A
      lluvion Health
       (406-454-6973)
    • Benefis Health System
       (406-455-2500)
    • Great Falls Clinic (406-454-2171)
    • If you are an airman you can also call the clinic at Malmstrom.

As many of you have heard, we are struggling to keep up with contact tracing due to the high numbers of cases in Cascade County. Contact tracing is a lengthy process, and we are not giving up--we have hired additional staff, and our contact tracers are working as quickly as they can, 7 days a week--but at this point we are not able to contact trace every single case.

In short: the Health Department is overwhelmed. So what can you, our community members, do to slow the spread?

  1. If you are positive for COVID-19, isolate at home. Notify everyone you were in contact with for 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms or 48 hours prior to test date.
  2. If you have been told that you are a contact, quarantine at home for 2 weeks from the time you were exposed.


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Monitoring the Situation Closely

Here at City-County Health Department (CCHD), we are closely monitoring the health of our community, and we realize that the recent spike in case numbers may cause our community some anxiety. We urge you to take control of your own physical health and mental well-being by doing what you can to protect yourself and those you love. Here are things you can do:

  • Avoid close contact with people outside of your household (close contact is being within six feet of someone for 15 minutes or more)
  • Clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces regularly
  • Frequently, thoroughly wash your hands and avoid touching your face
  • Get some physical activity and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air, but watch out for trailheads or parks that are already crowded
  • Stay in contact with your friends and family, even if you aren't seeing them in person as much as you'd like
  • Use good judgment and analyze the risk of your activities before going out (whether that's grocery shopping at peak times, going on vacation, or going to a friend's or family's gathering)
  • Wear a mask or face-covering in public indoor spaces and at outdoor gatherings where social distancing is difficult, as mandated by the Governor's Directive

Mandate on Face Coverings

On Wednesday 7/15/20, Governor Steve Bullock issued a directive requiring face coverings in certain indoor spaces and for certain organized outdoor activities in counties-like Cascade County that are currently experiencing four or more active cases of COVID-19. Studies show that this will slow the spread of the virus. The Governor writes:

"…This is about being a Montanan and being supportive of those around us. Montanans need to not only feel safe, but be safe to continue supporting small businesses like restaurants, breweries, clothing stores, bookshops, and more. And Montanans need to be healthy to work. Mom and Pop shops in Montana often have two employees: Mom and Pop themselves. If they get COVID-19, they can't keep their business running."

Please take the time to read the new directive, which can be found in the section titled "Executive Directives."