Aaron Bolton

A Democratic Montana state lawmaker Wednesday questioned the head of the state health department about whether medical experts were involved in making a controversial emergency rule issued last month regarding masking in schools.

There are over 10,000 active COVID-19 cases in Montana. The state reached that milestone Wednesday. Public health officials and experts say the latest outbreak is fueled by the Delta variant. MTPR’s Freddy Monares and Aaron Bolton looked into what Montana can expect to come next.

Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Friday evening that his administration issued a new emergency rule that he says will help transfer patients out of overburdened large hospitals faster, freeing up more beds.

A nearly $1 million federal grant has allowed the state to contract with six providers that could provide drug treatment to over 400 Montanans over the next two years.

As COVID-19 cases surge, hospitals say they can’t get enough staff to keep up. Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration says it’s collaborating with hospitals as needs arise.

The Montana Nurses Association is accusing Gov. Greg Gianforte’s administration of pushing “junk science” through a recent emergency administrative rule about masking in schools.

As hospitals overflow in Idaho, COVID-positive patients there looking for care in Montana won’t find many empty rooms. Montana is dealing with its own needs for staffing and bed capacity.

In the early days of the school year some Montana districts are already closing classrooms due to COVID-19 cases.

Yellowstone County Tuesday reached 300 cumulative COVID-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The latest deaths include a woman in her 20s with no underlying conditions, the youngest Yellowstone County resident to die from the coronavirus.

Montana’s largest hospital is asking Gov. Greg Gianforte’s office to deploy the National Guard to assist doctors and nurses who are stretched thin by the growing surge in COVID-19 cases. This is the second request for assistance in the last month.