COVID-19

The lead epidemiologist for the Montana health department says the fall spike in COVID-19 cases put a strain on efforts to trace the virus' spread, making it harder to collect that data and forcing officials to rethink how they present it to the public.

Montana lawmakers debated Monday how they’ll hold the 2021 legislative session amid the coronavirus pandemic. The session is scheduled to begin on Jan. 4. Lawmakers did not make any final decisions, but were deeply divided on how best to proceed. 

The addition of work or “community engagement” requirements to Montana’s Medicaid expansion program has been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. 

That announcement came Friday from the state health department.

In his first press conference since the election, Gov.-elect Greg Gianforte said his administration will prioritize its COVID-19 response when it takes office next month. He did not mention specific policy plans.

Gianforte was vague on details Friday, but said he’ll unveil more specifics after he receives recommendations from a COVID-19 task force that he created shortly after the election. 

After a months-long impasse, Montana senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines both say Congress should broker a deal on a new coronavirus relief package, but it’s not yet clear if they’ll agree on what a final package should look like. Renewed calls for a deal come as Montana assigns its final dollars from the last federal aid package. 

A new mental health crisis hotline is now available to Montanans struggling with the ongoing emotional impacts of the global pandemic.

The Montana Crisis Recovery Hotline funded by a $1.6 million federal grant program is open to all Montanans but specifically targeted at Native Americans, students, health care workers and residents of communities hit hardest by COVID-19.