Coronavirus

Missoula County Tuesday announced a health order that reduces the number of people allowed to gather for events and in some businesses in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Check back for daily updates about the novel coronavirus in Montana.

Results released Friday from Montana State University’s pre-election poll show Montanans across all party affiliations are feeling more uncertain about the safety of a potential COVID-19 vaccine.

It's less than two weeks before election day and Montana on Thursday again set a new record for COVID-19 cases reported in a single day with more than 900. Whoever is elected as Montana's next governor will inherit oversight of the state's response to the pandemic. Yellowstone Public Radio's Nicky Ouellet and Rachel Cramer discuss what the candidates are and aren't saying about how they'd handle the public health crisis.

Montana State Prison remains on lockdown after a coronavirus outbreak ballooned since being discovered last week.

Montana and Yellowstone County officials on Oct. 22 announced new measures to enforce public health orders like mask mandates and business capacity restrictions as the state recorded its largest single day new case count of the COVID-19 illness.

Early voting is underway in Montana. The novel coronavirus pandemic has led most counties to conduct an all-mail ballot election, while others are sticking to a traditional polling place election. YPR News’ Kevin Trevellyan convened a Zoom roundtable of county elections officials to find out how preparations are going and what voters should know as an unusual election season wraps up. The conversation has been edited for clarity.

Health care workers are once again asking Montanans to do their part to slow the spread of COVID-19 as more hospitals become overwhelmed with patients in need of critical care.

As Montana sees a surge in COVID-19 cases, medical facilities, particularly within tribal nations, are being pushed to their limits.

Starting this week, Amtrak reduced daily passenger rail service along Montana’s Hi-Line to three days a week, pointing to drastic drops in ridership and revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. Passenger rail advocates say this change will further diminish limited transportation options in frontier communities and justify more permanent cuts to service.