First Cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Phillips County

The Phillips County Health Department confirmed via social media Tuesday night (Aug. 4, 2020) that there has been five confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Phillips County.

“As there are currently four or more active COVID-19 cases, masks are mandatory in Phillips County,” the press release states, complying with the directive requiring face coverings to prevent the spread of COVID-19 issued by Montana Governor Steve Bullock on July 15, which applies to counties currently experiencing four or more active cases of COVID-19.

The Montana Response: COVID-19 website — https://montana.maps.arcgis.com — lists one of the five COVID-19 positive cases as a female, age range 20-to-29, while the remaining four other positive tests are from the age range of 30-to-39 and are two females and two males. The Phillips County Health Department states in their press release that they are working to identify all close contacts of these individuals and interviews are currently being done. Anyone who is a direct contact (of the five people) will receive a phone call from the health department and will be given instructions on how to proceed. The five people who tested positive for COVID-19 have been instructed to remain isolated at home until they have fully recovered.

Gov. Bullock’s Directive Requiring Face Coverings in Certain Indoor Spaces and Outdoor Gatherings requires “businesses, government offices and other indoor spaces open to the public to ensure that employees, contractors, volunteers, customers, and other members of the public wear a face mask that covers their mouth and nose while remaining inside these spaces. The directive also requires face coverings at organized outdoor activities of 50 or more people, where social distancing is not possible or is not observed.”

The directive is in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation that people wear cloth face coverings in public and when around people outside one’s household, a Montana DPHHS statement reads.

“The directive does not require face coverings in counties with three or fewer active cases or for children under 5, though face coverings are strongly encouraged in both cases. Other exceptions include children under 2 while eating or drinking at businesses that sell food or drinks, during activities that make face coverings unsafe (like strenuous physical exercise or swimming), while giving speeches or performances in front of a socially distanced audience, while receiving medical care or for people with a preexisting condition that would make wearing a face-covering unsafe.

Under the directive, businesses, government offices, and other publicly operating spaces will provide face coverings for employees and volunteers, and post signs stating that face coverings are required for people 5 and older.

Businesses, other indoor spaces open to the public, and sponsors of organized outdoor activities may also deny entry, refuse service, or ask any person to leave if they refuse to wear a face covering. If necessary, they may rely on peace officers to enforce the state’s trespassing laws if a person refuses to wear a face covering and refuses to leave the premises.

Local public health agencies and law enforcement should focus their enforcement of this directive on education, providing warnings and education about the risk of transmission, while reserving the imposition of penalties, trespass enforcement, and other formal enforcement mechanisms for only the most egregious, repeat violations that put the public at risk.”