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The latest news about the novel coronavirus and COVID-19 in Montana.

National Guard assistance ends as COVID hospitalizations decline

Montana COVID Hospitalizations 12/13/21
Montanan Department of Public Health and Human Services
Montana COVID Hospitalizations 12/13/21

The Montana National Guard is ending its rotations at hospitals statewide as the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations in Montana are on the decline.

At the peak of their deployment, nearly 170 National Guard soldiers were stationed at 13 hospitals statewide this fall as COVID-19 patients overwhelmed critical care units and emergency rooms. Troops helped medical staff flip COVID patients into special positions so they could breathe, and performed other tasks that allowed nurses to provide continuous medical care.

During the latest surge, COVID hospitalizations peaked statewide on Oct. 13 at 510 patients, which broke the record from the state’s previous wave in the fall of 2020.

There were about 140 hospitalized COVID patients as of Friday.

Aaron graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Journalism in 2015 after interning at Minnesota Public Radio. He landed his first reporting gig in Wrangell, Alaska where he enjoyed the remote Alaskan lifestyle and eventually moved back to the road system as the KBBI News Director in Homer, Alaska. He joined the MTPR team in 2019. Aaron now reports on all things in northwest Montana and statewide health care.
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