Gov. Greg Gianforte acknowledged the omicron variant is likely to drive up cases in Montana, but said Tuesday the state can continue to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic without government mandates.
Gianforte says that although the COVID-19 virus is still present, the state is in a better position than it was a year ago because vaccines and treatments are now available.
“And because of the tools available to Montanans, and our success with putting them to use, I firmly believe the state does not need to have, to exercise emergency powers," he said.
The omicron variant has pushed governors in states including Delaware, New York and Oregon to declare or extend states of emergency, which allows them to use emergency powers. This variant is more transmissible than previous strains.
Slightly more than half of the state’s eligible population is vaccinated. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccines are the best way to slow the spread of COVID-19, however breakthrough infections in people who are fully vaccinated are likely to occur.
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