HAVRE, Mont. (NMB) – Governor Steve Bullock held a press call June 4 and gave a COVID-19 testing update and announced more CARES Act funding will be available to businesses.
Bullock said because of the demand of applicants for grants they decided to add more funds to help those afflicted by COVID-19.
“We’ve decided to add an additional $25 million bringing the total funding available to $75 million. These dollars will ensure that even more Montana based small businesses with 50 or fewer employees…are able to keep their businesses running and indeed moving forward.”
Bullock then commented on the current COVID-19 testing numbers in Montana.
Bullock said through testing events in Indian Country they have tested a total of 5,300 individuals.
“Black Feet, Fort Belknap, Crow, Fort Peck, Little Shell and the Chippewa Cree Tribes have all completed a first round of community testing events…Next week the Northern Cheyenne Tribe is setting up drive-thru testing. The week thereafter CSKT will be doing some. We will continue to work with our tribal nations on plans for them continuing these testing events.”
Bullock did say as a result of more testing it is inevitable that we will find more positive cases in Montana, but he said this is a necessary and positive step forward that will help Montana reach its 60,000 tests per month target.
Today, Montana reported 14 new COVID-19 cases. The majority of these cases were in Big Horn and Gallatin counties.
Montana has currently lost 17 Montanans to the coronavirus.
For more information on grants and testing results visit covid19.mt.gov.
