Ravalli County Public Health
July 9, 2020
As of 4pm today, Ravalli County has received one new case of COVID-19. The new case is a female in her sixties. After thorough investigation, Public Health nurses have determined this case was acquired through community spread.
Ravalli County currently has 15 active cases of COVID-19. As part of each investigation, contact tracing has been performed by Public Health nurses on all active cases. The active cases are located in: Corvallis, Darby, Hamilton, and Stevensville. Three cases are now hospitalized.
All active cases are in isolation and their contacts are in quarantine.
Public Health nurses continue to release active cases from isolation, once they recover from symptoms. Direct contacts are released from quarantine as they complete their 14-day period without symptoms of COVID-19.
- The Missoula City-County Board of Health unanimously passed a ‘Rule and Health Officer Order’ today requiring face coverings in indoor public settings during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- More information about the order can be found can be found here: https://www.missoulacounty.us/home/showdocument?id=72095
Free COVID-19 ‘Community Snapshot Testing’
Thursday, July 16th
To slow the spread of COVID-19, and prevent future outbreaks, Ravalli County is partnering with the State of Montana on a free community snapshot testing event Thursday, July 16 at the Hamilton High School parking lot from 10am to 6pm.
- If you’re a front-line worker and don’t have any symptoms of illness, you’re encouraged to get a free Coronavirus test.
“The virus is here with us and as we learn to live in a new normal with wearing a mask, social distancing and vigilant hygiene, enhanced testing is an important tool in helping us find new cases early to limit the spread and minimize community outbreaks,” Governor Steve Bullock said.
- The State is pursuing more frequent and widespread COVID-19 testing to support businesses and industry in Montana. The effort, known as Community Snapshot Testing, aims to develop an early warning system for a COVID-19 outbreak.
- Testing of asymptomatic individuals offers only a brief snapshot in time.
- Individuals and businesses remain susceptible to COVID-19 exposure at any point following a test.
- More frequent testing at the community level among a subset of the population who may have more exposure risk can help to identify spread of the virus early, allowing for appropriate mitigation, contact tracing, and quarantine measures to avoid a large community outbreak which can disrupt businesses now and in the future.
- The test is free, fast and non-invasive. Help prevent a COVID-19 outbreak in Ravalli County and get tested.
- Learn more about the importance of community snapshot testing and see a calendar of upcoming testing events at https://covid19.mt.gov/Montanas-Testing-Information.
If you have any questions regarding COVID-19, please call: (406) 375-6672.