After 733 new Montana COVID-19 infections and a huge jump in hospitalizations, I was dismayed at Gov. Steve Bullock’s response to the news.
He is punting the responsibility to county health departments. However, prior to his election campaign he had implemented the lockdown which led Montana to have the lowest record of COVID-19 infections in the U.S.
Since the state borders were opened June 1, the cases have skyrocketed.This is not a county problem, but a state-wide one. There are no county borders, and people travel, thus carrying the infection far and wide. In addition, counties do not have the authority to limit tourists to a two-week quarantine, nor do they have the ability to restrict those visiting our national parks.
Governor Bullock, you say, “I will always put Montana first.” This infection is not going away and the mask mandate is not working, so please implement stricter state-wide guidelines before we lose more people.
Dr. Birx and 100 nurses have voiced their opinion. Will you please listen?
— Susan Pasini, Boulder
