By Josh Margolis
HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – In a 3-2 vote, the Hill County Board of Health has recommended the discontinuation of quarantine orders for close contacts of COVID-19 cases.
The special meeting was held as a result of the passage of House Bill 702 through the State Legislature. The law prohibits discrimination based on vaccine status. This contradicts current CDC guidelines, which states that close contacts do not have to quarantine if they are vaccinated against COVID-19.
The three votes in favor of the motion came from the County Commissioners, while MSU-Northern Public Health Officer Erica McKeon-Hanson and Source Water Specialist Kristi Kline, the two community members of the Board, opposed the motion.
“I have a very difficult time, ethically, not following the CDC guidance and not doing the things that those of us in Public Health and that know infectious diseases know work,” McKeon-Hanson said after the motion was put on the floor. “And we aren’t as a Board, able to to anything to get resources to the Health Department in order to be able to do what is going to prevent death and illness in Hill County. So what we are charged with on the Board of Health…is Prevent, Promote, Protect. And I can’t support something that I don’t feel does that. Those that can need to figure out the resources that the Health Department needs to be able to do that.”
The recommendation will now go to the County Commission for formal approval next Thursday, despite the fact that they all voted to approve the motion. This is because of a change in procedures as a result of the passage of House Bill 121 in the 2021 State Legislative Session.
The other option that was proposed to the Board was to quarantine all close contacts regardless of vaccination status, but this would require a significant boost in Health Department funding while also contradicting CDC guidelines.
Once the changes are formally approved, the only close contacts that will be notified by the Hill County Health Department are those that are household contacts, and this is only “as long as capacity is manageable.”
These contacts will be provided CDC guidance and can self-notify their close contacts, but are under no legal obligation to do so.
Hill County Health Officer Kim Berg recommended the changes and admitted that these new procedures will likely increase transmission of COVID-19 in the area, but said that her Department is already having trouble doing thorough contact tracing due to a lack of available funding.
“Last fall, we had CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act funding to support additional workers at the Health Department. We no longer have additional funding. I cannot bring on additional contact tracers at this time. And unfortunately, without those funds, our capacity is pretty limited as to what we can do when you’re seeing this quick rise in (case) numbers.”
Berg expressed frustration that the County Commission did not allocate any funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) towards COVID prevention and mitigation.
“We’re receiving funds for so many different areas,” said County Commissioner Mark Peterson, who is the Health Board Chair, when asked by Kline whether the County received any funding for COVID mitigation this year. “I’m not sure I can give you a factual answer at this time. We’ve received quite a few. But I don’t recall anything that’s directed to COVID.”
Berg says her Department will now have to contact every School District in the County and find out how they will handle the changes. Although Districts are not bound by House Bill 702, Berg says they do not have the authority to issue mandatory quarantine orders.
“It’s going to impact the way we have been working with our schools,” Berg said. “Because prior, we would do the contact tracing once we got the names of close contacts or the seating charts that we had available. Now, we’re going to have to sit down with each one of our schools one-on-one and try to figure out that process again.”
Prior to the vote, Havre School Board Chair Curtis Smeby was one of several members of the public to speak. He encouraged the Board to continue following CDC guidelines.
“I understand the funding (issue), but there’s plenty of funding. It’s up to the Commissioners to provide that funding to the Health Board,” said Smeby, who then referred to a sign in the room. “I do read that as ‘Hill County Health Department,’ I don’t read that as ‘Hill County Health Compliance Department.’ I think you have to do what you need to do for Public Health. Emotional and physical health. What are we doing? Missoula at least has taken the stance that they are going to challenge (HB 702). I would encourage us to challenge it. To follow (the CDC guidance). If it makes (it inconvenient for) people because they have to quarantine, that is appropriate. We have laws in this country. Let’s use them and let’s challenge when things are inappropriate. This is clearly inappropriate. Man oh man. It’s very troubling when we know what’s going to happen – I’m not trying to predict the future, but this isn’t rocket science. We have experts here in this community, on this Board, in this state, in the country, that keep telling us what to do. And we won’t do it? Are we setting ourselves up for lawsuits of big time? I’m very concerned about the as a School Board member and the Board Chair, that we’ll get sued. And you know who is going to be paying for that? Every property owner in this County, in this District. Why wouldn’t we err on the side of caution and do what we know is right and let the chips fall where they may. Rather than do something that we know is really second or third best, and really is not going to keep the citizens of Hill County safe.”
Retired Nurse Pamela Long also opposed the motion, expressing disappointment about the threat to public health from this change.
“I held a baby in my arms that was dying of whooping cough when I was 19-years-old. That baby lived. We could prevent that and we have. You’re going to hear helicopters (at Northern Montana Hospital) and you’re going to wonder if it’s a child. If they are trying to find a ventilator for a child because we don’t have pediatric ventilators in our Hospital, as far as I know. This is real. Why are we in denial?”
One member of the public, Charlotte Faust, did not speak to the motion, but rather railed against the Hill County Health Department, citing misinformation about the efficacy of masking that she says came from her Doctor.
“Where’s the education that’s gone on? It’s all one sided. All of a sudden you’re just ‘Mask Up. If you don’t mask up, you’re in trouble.’ Where is our freedom?”
After the vote was taken but before the meeting adjourned, retired electrical lineman Cal Long spoke in opposition to the successful motion.
“Just generally, I would ask the Board to not approve (the changes) and to choose to oppose the law.”
The change in quarantine procedures is not just for COVID-19, but for all communicable diseases the Hill County Health Department deals with.
Hill County is not the only jurisdiction that has had to grapple with the impacts of House Bill 702. Many other counties have taken similar actions to relax quarantine requirements. The exception so far is Missoula County, which will continue to follow CDC guidelines despite the risk of litigation.
