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

No COVID-19 Outbreak Detected After Montana Fair, Health Official Says

NW Montana Fair & Rodeo Logo

Two weeks after roughly 40,000 people attended the Northwest Montana State Fair and Rodeo in Kalispell, health officials are saying the event did not lead to a COVID-19 outbreak in the county.

Sunday marked the end of 14-day incubation period for the fair’s last day. Over the past few weeks, the Flathead City-County Health Department has been asking Flathead County residents with positive COVID-19 results whether or not they attended the fair.

Interim Flathead County Health Officer Tamalee Robinson said that so far, seven diagnosed residents reported attending.

“We would not determine we had an outbreak related to the fair at all,” she said.

The fair attracted widespread attention after county organizers reportedly had issues enforcing mask and social-distancing mandates. The fair typically attracts residents from surrounding counties as well, but none of the surrounding counties’ health departments have publicly reported any cases tied to the event.

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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