The Blackfeet Nation is rolling-back COVID-19 restrictions a day after putting them in place.
On Monday, the tribe said it would limit gatherings, restrict capacity inside businesses and bring back a mask mandate as well as a nightly curfew. But officials walked that back Tuesday, saying in a post on Facebook that those restrictions won’t be put in place and that masking is not mandated, but strongly recommended.
Blackfeet Spokesperson James McNeely said some of the restrictions were outdated and drafted before vaccines and testing were available. He adds that officials will monitor COVID-19 on the reservation and make decisions in consultation with local health officials. He did not explain why the tribe announced the restrictions and then retracted that decision.
This comes as COVID cases on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation and across Montana are rising.