Four months after first outbreak, nursing homes remain Covid-19 hotbeds

The national coronavirus death toll in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities is shocking and the stories are gut wrenching.

More than 56,000 nursing home residents in the U.S. have died – some alone and afraid without a family member by their side. That’s 44% of all national COVID-19 related deaths, yet nursing home residents only make up 1% of the U.S. population.

Here in Montana, there have been 13 deaths or 40% of total COVID-19 related deaths from an assisted living facility and most recently, from a memory care unit.

As compared to other states, many of Montana’s nursing homes...