Nine More Cases Added To VC Total

The Valley County Health Department confirmed nine more cases of COVID-19 in the county over the past week. Cases 38 and 39 were announced on Aug. 26, case 40 was announced on Aug. 29 and cases 41 through 46 were announced on Sept. 1.

Case 38 is a female age 50-59 who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. This individual is asymptomatic and was identified through contact tracing. The investigation and contact tracing was ongoing.

Case 39 is a male age one to nine who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. This individual is symptomatic and contracted the virus through an unknown source. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 40 is a male age 20 to 29 who is not hospitalized and is isolating at home. This individual is symptomatic and contracted the virus from an unknown source. The investigation and contact tracing are complete.

Case 41 is a female aged 10-19 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 42 is a female aged 60-69 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 43 is a female aged 30-39 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 44 is a male aged 30-39 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 45 is a female aged 10-19 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

Case 46 is a male aged 40-49 who is not hospitalized. The investigation and contact tracing are ongoing.

As of Sept. 1, the County has nine active cases, which puts into place the Governor mask mandate in public places. However the Valley County Health Department stresses face coverings or masks are recommended in public places at all times, regardless of the number of active cases in the county.

To provide the public with the opportunity to ask questions as well as obtain clarification between quarantine and isolation, Valley County Public Health Officer Dr. Anne Millard hosted a Facebook Live question and answer session on Aug. 25.

She started off the session explaining isolation is for someone who has tested positive for the virus, irregardless if they are showing symptoms or not. They are to be kept away from others, even in their own home.

“It means if you live in a household with five other people, you stay in your room. You don’t have contact with those five other people,” explained Dr. Millard. In addition to having an individual bedroom, isolation also means utilizing a separate bathroom, if available, and staying in a specific area away from other people or animals, including pets.

If symptomatic, those in isolation need to stay home until they have had three days with no fever, their symptoms improved and 10 days since symptoms first appeared. If asymptomatic, the individual stays home until after 10 days have passed since the positive test.

Quarantine, on the other hand, is for those who have had close contact with a person who has tested positive for the virus. Those who are in quarantine must stay home until 14 days after the last contact with the individual, check their temperature twice a day, watch for symptoms and if possible, stay away from people who are at higher-risk for getting very sick from the virus.

“It just feels like a really long period of time,” stressed Millard when explaining the time frames associated with both quarantine and isolation.

As parents of high school student athletes come together across the state to express frustration regarding not being able to attend home and/or away games, the question of whether or not Dr. Millard will cancel sports was also discussed.

“How my job works, I advise the County Commissioners on what we are doing and I can do some things on my own when we have a health emergency, which we do now. However, the County Commissioners have asked that we go ahead and just follow the Governor’s guidelines,” explained Dr. Millard. She stressed the schools and Montana High School Association have put together long lists of guidelines that must be followed in order to continue the opening of schools and fall sports.

“The folks here have done an excellent job in the school system trying to find ways to make both school and sports work,” said Dr. Millard.”With all they have done, I don’t have any plans of going ahead and canceling any football, volleyball, track, golf, basketball, hockey, any of it.”

She did stress that each sport should have a good plan put into place and utilize the Montana High School Association to create that plan in order to ensure social distancing, cleaning protocols and mask wearing, while also playing sports safely.

She also stated the only time she would want to close down schools would be the same reason why she would close down everything else: if there was a sudden outbreak.

“We don’t want to bring people into the community and have them take COVID back into their community and have another outbreak,” she stated.

To prevent the possibility of outbreaks and limit the exposure of COVID-19 among the community, the Valley County Health Department is still asking everyone who is planning an event to fill out the Event Or Activity Plan that is available from the Health Department. The plan allows everyone involved in the event or activity to think about how to keep all those in attendance safe and minimize the risk of exposure. The Valley County Health Department can be contacted at 228-6261 and the form can be mailed, e-mailed or faxed.