This fall, COVID has hit hard in Montana, bringing overloaded hospitals, the pandemic's youngest deaths and the year's deadliest month. Here are some of the most important developments you need to know about.

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen wants to block the Biden Administration's proposed employer vaccine and testing mandate before it goes into effect. Montana is one of only a few states to explicitly ban such mandates.

COVID-19 hospitalizations in Montana hit an all-time high Wednesday, with 510 people needing hospital care due to the coronavirus. Public health and medical experts say the delta variant has made people sicker, and more COVID patients have landed in intensive care units.

Missoula’s school board of trustees voted to maintain public school mask mandates, at least for now. The board is also thinking about the metrics that will be used to eventually lift the rule.

The Missoula School Board is scheduled to vote Tuesday evening on whether or not to change its mandatory face covering guidelines.

According to the state health department, 191 people died in September of COVID-related complications, topping January’s death count. The pandemic shows no sign of slowing in Montana.

The $31 million can help registered and licensed childcare providers pay for rent, mortgage and utility costs, cover payroll and benefits, or be used to purchase cleaning or childcare supplies. Mental health support for children and providers can also be requested.

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations decline across the country, the pandemic in Montana has continued to get worse. The average number of hospitalizations grew by nearly 40% over the past month. Health care workers are trying to keep up, and some are pushing the state to do more to help.

COVID-19 cases in K-12 schools are higher now than they were at the same time last year. On Wednesday, the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services released its weekly report on the number of COVID-19 cases in K-12 schools.

September has been the deadliest month of the current coronavirus wave fueled by the delta variant and has been over twice as deadly compared to September last year.