Missoula Health Officer on New Restrictions and COVID Increases

Missoula City County Health Officer Ellen Leahy on Wednesday provided an update on the efficacy of the week-old restrictions that were imposed on Missoula businesses.

Leahy said there really hasn’t been enough time to make an impact.

“It has been actually a week Thursday that they went into effect with the new restrictions,” said Leahy. “We are seeing a lot of pretty visible cooperation. Now some places were already at operating at about that level. We have been getting a lot of questions from folks about how to better comply, but really not a lot of complaints.”

Leahy provided some current statistics.

“I will say though that we do watch the incidence rate every single day,” she said. “We started at 51 per 100,000 for our seven day average and we set our goal at 25. At first we went from 51 down to as low as 46, but as of today, we're actually up to a seven day average of 52.”

If you look at the various types of indicators and keys for reopening or starting to shut down in different increments, Montana has exceeded in a negative way in the number of cases, all those all of those metrics,” she said. “I mean we are definitely at a point of tipping into uncontrollable spread.

Leahy provided the most current update on the COVID 19 deaths in Missoula County.

“Missoula unfortunately has had 24 residents die from COVID,” she said. “Many of those have occurred in the last couple of weeks. Much of that is the tragic, but predictable result of the infection finding its way into otherwise very well protected Senior Living settings, and the folks that that age with some of those conditions and being in a congregate setting do have a much higher risk for getting the disease if it does become present in their setting and of course, for complications from the disease.”

Leahy also commented on the rise in cases throughout the state, and that action should be taken on a statewide basis.

“If you look at the various types of indicators and keys for reopening or starting to shut down in different increments, Montana has exceeded in a negative way in the number of cases, all those all of those metrics,” she said. “I mean we are definitely at a point of tipping into uncontrollable spread.”

Those new restrictions could only come from Governor Steve Bullock, but there has not been word of another press conference so far this week.