Montana’s medical community sounded an alarm in August, urging residents to get vaccinated and again wear masks in indoor public spaces to slow the spread of the increasingly concerning Delta variant of the coronavirus.
As of Aug. 31, there were 5,057 active cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in the state, including 890 new cases, a level of spread not seen since winter. In the last six weeks leading up to Aug. 19, the average daily caseload has increased six-fold and was on track to more than double by the end of August. Hospitalizations are reaching critical new highs alongside renewed community spread of the virus. The spikes are the result of the newer, more transmissible delta variant and the state’s sluggish vaccination rate, experts said. As of Aug. 31, 50% of eligible people in the state were fully vaccinated, far short of the 70% to 80% medical experts say is needed to reach herd immunity.
“With cases and hospitalizations increasing, we in the medical and nursing community of Montana want you to know that now is the time to act and step-up our game collectively in preventing a worsening wave of COVID-19 here in Montana,” Montana Medical Association President Dr. Pamela V. Cutler said. “We see what’s happening in other portions of the U.S. Our statewide emergency rooms, businesses, and schools depend on each Montanan to follow the proven prevention methods that we know work—get vaccinated and wear a mask indoors. By working together, we can prepare and slow the spread.”
