Doug Nelson

Montana added about 630 new COVID-19 cases Tuesday, the largest single-day increase since early January. Hospitalizations are also on the rise, causing hospitals to exceed staff and bed capacity.

A new Montana law that prohibits employers from requiring COVID-19 vaccinations has hospital leaders worried, as concerns over hospital staffing and the spread of the delta variant grows.

As COVID-19 cases across the state surge, the number of available hospital beds for COVID and other patients is quickly becoming a concern. But a shortage…