Bullock implores folks to heed stay-at-home order
FILE - In this Aug. 7, 2019, file photo, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock speaks at the National Press Club in Washington. Bullock’s office warned Friday, March 20, 2020, that Montana could face extended closures of public gathering places in the push to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock reiterated the importance of social distancing as Montana enters its third week since the first novel coronavirus cases were found in the state.
He implored Montanans — particularly younger Montanans — to stay at home and not socially mingle during this time of crisis, during a press conference Friday.
“Staying largely separated ... can be a lifesaving act,” he said. Younger people are lower risk and can spread the virus, sometimes without getting sick themselves.
As of presstime, the state had 319 confirmed cases and six deaths. Flathead County had 31 cases, five of them new in the past 24 hours.
There is also evidence of community spread, the Flathead City-County Health Department said Tuesday.
“Within the last few days we have received six cases where we cannot find any known contact or exposure with a positive case or related to travel. “These cases indicate that there is evidence of community transmission in Flathead County,” Hillary Hanson, FCCHD Health Officer said.
The National Guard is now stationed in major train stations and airports to screen people with fevers and other symptoms of the illness. People coming in from out-of-state, on non-work related matters must self-quarantine for 14 days, whether they are residents or not. Visitors from out-of-state must also self-quarantine for the duration of their stay.
Bullock also noted on Friday that he was easing requirements for food assistance and was doubling the supply of food commodities for food pantries and food banks and other charitable organizations.
The Women Infant Children program, which provides food assistance for mothers and children would also ease requirements. For example, if no skim milk is available at grocery stores, they could substitute with 1 or 2 percent milk, Bullock said.
He said that while the stay at home order is in place until April 10, he expects it will be extended another two weeks until April 24.
He also approved a directive that banned evictions for renters and foreclosures for homeowners during the stay-at-home order, though he urged folks to pay the rent if they could.
People are expected to avoid contact within 6 feet of others outside of family, though they can recreate outside. Bullock said, however, that folks should recreate in places that are closer to home and if a trailhead is full, they should go to another location.
On a positive note for Columbia Falls High School, he said that a building trades program that’s building a cabin for Glacier National Park should be able to continue, as long as class size is limited to 10 people or less. He noted that construction is one of the “essential” businesses that are exempt from the stay-at-home order.
On the testing front, he said the state should be getting about 15 of the new Abbott Laboratories testing machines. That test can confirm a positive or negative virus in 15 minutes or less. Those machines would be deployed at hospitals and other hot spots.
The state lab is currently handling the tests, examining in the neighborhood of 500 to 600 daily.
As far as the national parks go, Bullock said he’s been keeping in communication with both of them and they’ve been good partners. It’s still not known when they could reopen. Glacier National Park has been closed to the public for a week now. Yellowstone National park has been closed longer than that.