SHELBY, Mont. (NMB) – Toole County has reported their fourth COVID-19 related death, as well as three additional cases of the virus.
The announcement of the death was issued by Governor Steve Bullock on Thursday afternoon.
It is the eighth COVID-19 death reported in Montana.
In a statement, Bullock said in part, “As we see how COVID-19 can inundate our smaller communities, I urge all Montanans to continue doing their part to protect our most vulnerable from this dangerous virus.”
No other information on the most recent death has been made available.
The outbreak in Toole County is related to a long-term care facility in Shelby.
The Toole County Health Department said in a statement Friday that, “all Toole County cases continue to consist of close contact related transmission.”
The statement added that, “the virus has been identified in a new healthcare facility, and due in part to the incubation period of the virus, we are seeing an increase in cases. We have been working with this facility daily on how to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus.”
The new patients are a female in their 40s, a male in their 50s and a female in their 80s.
As of Saturday morning, 29 Toole County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. 14 have recovered, one is currently hospitalized and four have died. 307 county residents have been tested for the virus.
Other counties in north-central and north-eastern Montana with confirmed COVID-19 cases include Cascade with 13; Roosevelt with 6; Glacier with 4; Richland with 3; and Hill, Liberty, Pondera and Meagher with one each.
This story has been updated to include new statistics from the Toole County Health Department
